


fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack

by stefonzolesky



Series: fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Autistic Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Autistic Kirigiri Kyoko, Autistic Tanaka Gundham, Drug Use, Enoshima Junko Being Enoshima Junko, F/M, Gen, Leon is a dick but he gets better, Sayaka is best girl and also violent, Trans Chihiro, Trans Female Character, Transphobia, author is trans btw!, chiaki hajime and nagito are only there for a chapter but they're there, he doesnt make an appearance but he IS mentioned, its w... weed, komahina briefly, kyoko has a crush on celeste, literally don't like don't read I've tagged this properly, tags to be added as I write more, the t slur and f slur are both dropped, trans mondo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:41:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stefonzolesky/pseuds/stefonzolesky
Summary: She scratches at her chipped black nail polish.“I’m not the kinda person people listen to, and I’m never gonna be. And Chihiro’s just so fuckin’ lucky, she’s so little and-- and just this sweet, bubbly little thing and I’m a fuckin’ nightmare who yells anytime I get nervous. So fuckin’ quick to anger, so-- so-- so...”She trails off."Mondo.""What?"
Relationships: Fujisaki Chihiro & Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Fujisaki Chihiro & Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Owada Mondo, Fujisaki Chihiro & Owada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Kirigiri Kyoko, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg, Kuwata Leon & Maizono Sayaka, Kuwata Leon & Oowada Mondo, Maizono Sayaka & Oowada Mondo
Series: fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2215212
Comments: 17
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HERE IS A PLAYLIST I MADE TO ACCOMPANY THIS FIC: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Itj4ByHPVN3omh6wPmzD1?si=Lyj1txx2Spe8bWn3WLZ4fg

There are two things Kiyotaka Ishimaru cares about above all else: his studies, and his girlfriend. 

That being said, he finds himself in a bit of a dilemma when, while he’s trying to read a passage about the way alcohol affects your body for one of his classes, one Mondo Oowada is wrapping herself around him. She plants a kiss on the back of his neck, and he sets his pencil down in the center of his notebook.

“You’ve got a stick up yer ass, bro,” She mumbles in his ear. “I think you should skip this assignment. Otherwise I’ll never get you to drink with me.” 

Taka bites back a laugh and shifts to face her. She presses another kiss on his forehead.

“I told you,” He reminds her. “If you want to be here while I work, you are going to have to let me work.”

Mondo groans and lets go of him, sitting back down in the chair at his side. She rocks the chair back and forth. 

“I knoooow,” She whines. “But, and hear me out… It’s super boring.”

She brings a hand up to brush through her hair, ultimately electing to tie the bleached section back, and then folds her arms over her chest with a huff. If Taka were a weaker man, he’d have closed his book right then and there. Instead, he gives her one last solid look and goes back to reading. 

_Long_ _–_ _term_ _heavy_ _drinking_ _may lead to shrinking of the_ _brain_ _and deficiencies in the fibers (white matter) that carry information between_ _brain_ _cells (gray matter)._

Without looking up from the notes he’s taking, Taka tells his girlfriend, “Your brain is going to get smaller if you keep drinking so much.”

He can practically hear Mondo roll her eyes next to him. The look he’s sure is on her face flashes in his head. 

“Bro,” She says, “I’m not an alcoholic or nothin’. And you know I’d stop if ya said the word.”

Taka stops at that. He turns to look at her again.

“You would?”

Mondo laughs. 

“Yeah! ‘Course I would. But I think that ya trust me enough, don’tcha?” 

And Taka considers that for a moment. He wants to tell her to stop, for her own wellbeing. But they’re close to done with high school, and he knows that there are a lot worse things that Mondo could be doing. As long as she’s careful… well, he’s got no reason to stop her. He believes that she’s careful.

He looks back at his book.

“Yes,” He says. “I do trust you. I’m just worried about your health! I don’t intend to lose you anytime soon, and you know that heavy drinking can only shorten your lifespan. Especially when you’re underage.” 

“Aww,” Mondo croons from behind him. “You care about me, huh? That’s real sweet. What a catch you are. I’m not goin’ anywhere, okay?”

_Organs known to be damaged by long-term alcohol misuse include the brain and nervous system, heart, liver and pancreas._

Taka writes one last sentence down and closes the book. Then, he stands up and, in one swift movement, collapses against Mondo’s body. She tenses up at the contact, and then he can feel her relax. She wraps her arms around him and kisses the top of his head.

“I’m finished for tonight,” He tells her. “I can continue this chapter in the morning.”

“It’s a Friday night, Taka,” Mondo teases lightly. “You can’t work through every weekend, ya know. You gotta learn to relax a little.” 

“I can relax,” Taka grumbles against the crook of Mondo’s neck. “I’m practically the patron saint of relaxation!”

“Patron saint of uptight dweebs, more like,” Mondo laughs, sticking her tongue out at him. “You’re not foolin’ nobody.”

“Just because I can’t pull the wool over your eyes doesn’t mean _someone_ wouldn’t believe me if I said that. Besides, look at me! I’m relaxing right now!” 

Mondo scoffs. She shifts so that she can scoop Taka in her arms and stands up in one swift move. It doesn’t take long before they’re on the bed, Taka’s head on her chest. 

“Are you staying here tonight?” He asks quietly.

Mondo runs a hand through Taka’s hair. “If ya want.” 

Taka smiles. 

“I always do, dear.”

+

Taka’s eighteenth birthday comes months later, and Mondo convinces him to let her do something nice. He’s wary of what Mondo’s idea of “nice” consists of, but he trusts that she knows him well.

And she does. 

Chihiro stops by Taka’s house around six o’clock, and she lets herself right in. She’s been over enough times that she knows the door is unlocked, and Takaaki won’t be home until late.

Taka’s head snaps up from his textbook when he hears a knock on his bedroom door. The door is open and Chihiro has made herself comfortable on the edge of his bed before Taka can move.

“Chihiro!” He grins. “I wasn’t expecting you! How are you today?”

Chihiro rolls her eyes and laughs, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. “Mondo sent me. She said she had some, uh… “fuckin’ preperations,” so I should come… “pull yer goddamn head out of whatever the hell book you’ve got yer nose in today” and get you ready.”

Taka’s eyebrows furrow. “Ready? I can’t imagine she has anything I would need to prepare for planned, does she? After all, this is Mondo we’re talking about.”

Chihiro bites back a grin and stands up again, wrapping her arms around Taka and trying (and failing) to pull him out of his chair.

“Work with me, Taka!” She jokes, and Taka obliges, standing up and pushing his chair back under his desk. Then, Chihiro marches purposefully to his closet and opens it up to reveal the twenty identical cleaned-and-pressed uniforms. She groans. “Don’t you have anything else?”

“Well, yes, but--”

“Great. Show me.”

+

It takes an hour or so, but Chihiro manages to get Taka dressed exactly how she thinks he should be. At the tail end of it, she’d rummaged through her backpack for a change of clothes, and revealed her own nice outfit -- a light pink dress and matching hair bows. 

“You look great, Taka!” She says, a grin on her face. “Just in time, too. We have to be there in about twenty minutes to make the reservations.”

“The…” Taka’s mind is going a mile a minute. “Reservations?” 

“Yeah!” Chihiro laughs. “She really likes you, of course she’d do something like this. You two are good for each other!”

Taka feels his face heat up. He isn’t sure what to do with his hands anymore.

The walk to the restaurant is not a long one -- Taka _does_ live in a busy area of town, after all -- but it feels a billion times longer than it actually is. The sun has almost fully set by the time they get there.

Makoto is sitting on a bench just outside of the restaurant, eyes scouring the streets. He sees Taka, and rushes inside before Taka can say something to him. He looks to Chihiro, who offers only a shrug.

“I really don’t know what’s happening,” She says. “Just that I was supposed to get you ready.”

Taka nods, lips pressed tight together in a thin line, and follows Chihiro into the restaurant.

The first thing he notices is how quiet the place is. He doesn’t treat himself to nice dinners very often, and he can’t say he’s ever been in this restaurant before, so he has no idea what to expect.

There’s instrumental music playing softly, and nothing is louder than quiet conversation between tables and the clinking of silverware on plates. At the back of the restaurant, Taka can see one long, crowded table. Some shuffling and a “fuck, he’s here” in a familiar voice tells him that’s exactly where he’s supposed to be. 

Kyoko is the first one to address him. 

“Ishimaru.” She gives a nod of her head. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Kirigiri!” Taka grins. He glances around the table. The whole class is there, and there are two empty seats, between Mondo and Makoto. Chihiro grabs Taka’s wrist loosely and pulls him towards the seats. He sits down carefully, and glances at Mondo, who is watching him with a nervous smile.

She grabs his hand under the table and says, “Happy birthday, bro. I hope this is good enough.”

“Are you joking?” Taka asks, eyes wide. “This is better than anything I could have expected! How did you manage this?” 

Mondo laughs shyly, and nods her head towards Byakuya, who is sitting across the table with his arms folded over his chest. 

“Togami here was nice enough to fork over some money,” She says, and Taka immediately knows that she likely threatened to kill him if he didn’t. 

“Don’t think too hard about it,” Byakuya says. “I only did it because it would be devastating to watch Oowada try and gather the money himself.” He rolls his eyes. “He has no dignity.” 

Mondo scoffs and turns her attention back to Taka. “What he wants ta say is happy birthday.”

Taka nods his head at Byakuya. 

“Thank you, Togami,” He says politely. “I appreciate it very much!”

Byakuya makes a “tch” noise and rolls his eyes, glancing around the restaurant. Next to him, Hina pipes up.

“Mondo was real smart to plan all this, I think!” She grins. “Of course we’d all wanna be around for your eighteenth birthday, and you weren’t gonna do anything!” 

Taka laughs softly. “Yes. Mondo… was very smart for this. And thank you all for being here, it means a lot to me. I’m glad I have you all as friends!”

“Okay,” Hiro snorts. “Gay much?” 

“Hagakure, you’re speaking to a man with a boyfriend,” Celeste reminds him. “Remind yourself of your place.” 

Under the table, Taka squeezes Mondo’s hand in his. He’s never been more thankful for anything in his life. In this moment, he knows that everything is as it should be. 

+

Taka doesn’t speak much when he and Mondo walk Chihiro home. She lives a few streets over from Taka, and she’s small, so they often accompany her back before going to Taka’s again. 

“You’re not going to tell them?” Chihiro asks Mondo. “Our class isn’t made up of cruel people, Mondo, you gotta know that.”

Mondo scoffs. She slips her hand around Taka’s waist. “Easy for you to say, Chi. Yer the epitome of a cute little lady. Have ya seen me?”

Taka bites back a comment of, “Yes, Mondo, you’re gorgeous!” because it’s not the time. This isn’t a conversation he can be a part of. He doesn’t know how to handle something like this, and Chihiro has the floor. 

Chihiro laughs. “You have friends who care about you,” She says. “So maybe Byakuya isn’t above a snide comment, and Leon likes to poke jokes. We all know Hifumi doesn’t think very hard before he speaks. But despite all that, they aren’t _mean._ Mondo, they like you. They’re not going to shut you down the way you think they will.”

Chihiro is right. It isn’t either of their places to tell Mondo what to do, but he knows that it would be good for her to get it through her head that nobody will be upset at her for it. 

She stays quiet for a few minutes. Taka wonders if she’s upset. 

“Yer right, Chi,” She finally says. “It’s just… well, ‘m scared. That’s all it ever is.” She laughs. “Real fuckin’ stupid, huh? Not like there’s nothin’ to be scared about.”

Chihiro laughs at that. She throws her head back, and she laughs. 

“It’s never not scary!” She says, but she’s smiling. “Being trans is always scary. Even when you’re sure things are going to be fine. The important part is knowing that the people who matter most aren’t going anywhere. If someone throws a bitchfit, they’re not someone you want to hang out with.”

Mondo stops walking in front of the driveway.

“This is you,” She says, and Chihiro nods.

“I know. Happy birthday, Taka!” She grins. “And Mondo, just think about it a little, okay?” 

“Thank you, Chihiro!” Taka finally says. “I’m really glad to have gotten to spend time with everyone. I will talk to you tomorrow!” 

Chihiro nods, gives a slight wave of her hand, and goes inside. 

+

The walk back to Taka’s house is nice and quiet. It’s a refreshing change of pace. That’s not to say that he doesn’t enjoy hearing his girlfriend talk -- he always does, and he’s always more than ready to listen to her. It’s just that… well, it’s peaceful. He enjoys walking quietly alongside her. 

She seems rather lost in thought, though. 

Takaaki still isn’t home when they get there, and he likely won’t be home for another hour or two. Despite the empty house, Mondo makes a beeline for Taka’s room and immediately throws herself face-down on his bed. Taka removes his shoes and sits next to her, knees tucked up to his chest. 

“Thank you, Mondo,” He says quietly. “You really do know me better than anyone.”

Mondo laughs and rolls over on her side to face him.

“I know,” She says with a grin. “I try real hard to know you best, babe. I wanted to do somethin’ nice for ya.” 

Taka leans over and presses a kiss to her cheek. “You did.” 

He stands up from the bed and makes his way to the dresser across the room, where the bottom drawer is full of clothes for Mondo. She takes her tie off and unbuttons her shirt while he gathers something for her to sleep in.

“You are not obligated to listen, but I think Chihiro is right,” He says, passing Mondo a pair of sweatpants. She kicks her shoes off and sheds her button-up. “The most important people are going to love you no matter what.” 

Mondo rolls her eyes as she changes her pants, and Taka removes his own shirt as she speaks.

“It’s _your_ birthday today, bro,” She reminds him. “This isn’t the right kinda day to be talkin’ about it in the first place.”

Once Taka has pulled a sweatshirt over his head, he sits back down next to Mondo and leans against her side. For the last minute or so, she’s been trying to take down her hair.

“It’s not a particularly special day, Mondo,” Taka tells her. “Not really. I am always going to listen to what you have to say! Not to mention, I could sense how uncomfortable you would get at times during dinner.”

Mondo sighs. She finishes with her hair and leans against the headboard of Taka’s bed.

“Shit, babe, it _is_ special,” She says. “Yer eighteen, now. A full fuckin’ adult. And I’m guessin’ yer dad didn’t say one thing about it, did he?”

Taka frowns. He shakes his head. 

“That’s not the point, I--”

“It’s a real important day, Taka. Ya gotta let yerself enjoy things like this. There’s so many things you can do now.” 

Taka furrows his eyebrows. “Like what? I’m not of legal drinking age, and aside from taking my driver’s test, I can’t think of anything that…” He trails off. “Oh.” 

Mondo rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on, bro. I’m not tryna get in yer pants tonight. I know ya said you didn’t wanna do nothin’ until you turned eighteen and that’d make ya think I was gunnin’ for a piece, but that’s not the point. I’m just sayin’. There’s plenty stuff you can do now, and yer an adult in the government’s eyes, yeah? It’s not my day to complain about bullshit.”

Taka doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the wall, but his vision is too out of focus for him to snap back in right now.

“I thought I would have more time before I was an adult,” He finally says. “But since the age of adulthood has been dropped by two years, I feel like I’m losing time. It’s thrown my plans out of orbit just a bit. If it’s okay with you, I would rather not think about it.” 

Mondo kisses the top of Taka’s head. “Yeah, ‘m sorry. That’s alright too.”

Taka nods. He manages to pull his eyes back to Mondo.

“Mondo,” He says, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. “I am more than happy to talk things through with you tonight. You are my girlfriend, after all.”

“Babe, it’s just bullshit,” Mondo snaps. “It’s nothin’ important and it’s not worth the time. I know Chi’s right, an’ I know you are too. That don’t mean shit.”

She scratches at her chipped black nail polish. 

“I’m not the kinda person people listen to, and I’m never gonna be. And Chihiro’s just so fuckin’ lucky, she’s so little and-- and just this sweet, bubbly little thing and I’m a fuckin’ nightmare who yells anytime I get nervous. So fuckin’ quick to anger, so-- so-- so...”

She trails off.

“Mondo.” 

“What?” 

“Chihiro is a completely different person. She has her own things to deal with.” Taka places his hand over Mondo’s. “It’s… well, brave enough of you to have spoken to the two of us. I strongly believe you can do whatever you put your mind to.”

Mondo scoffs. “Taka, yer a cheesy motherfucker.” 

“You love me,” Taka teases her.

She smiles. “Yeah, I do.”


	2. Chapter 2

If he loved her any less, Taka would be distraught at the fact that someone had stayed over at his house on a school night. 

He realizes his rules are being shaken when he wakes up and spends five minutes staring at Mondo. Her hair is splayed out on the pillow and she’s drooling a little bit. And Taka loves her so, so much.

He stands up quietly and changes into his uniform. Then, he gently shakes Mondo awake. 

“Mondo!” He says. “We’re going to be late for school if you don’t get ready now!”

Mondo groans and wraps her arms tight around the pillow. 

“C’mon, lemme sleep…” She whines, rolling over. “Too fuckin’ early…”

Taka rips the blanket off of Mondo and she whines again, curling into herself. 

“So rude, man. Totally uncalled for. You must hate me with yer whole heart, huh?” She stretches out and then plants her feet on the ground, rubbing her eyes. “Worst fuckin’ way to wake a girl up, Taka. Real smooth.” 

Taka furrows his eyebrows. “And what’s a good way to wake a girl up?” 

Mondo stares at him like he’s stupid, and then says, “Ya just don’t do it.”

Taka rolls his eyes and puts the blanket down next to her. 

“Mondo,” He says carefully. “There’s the first layer of a woman’s uniform in your size in the bottom drawer of my dresser, along with the men’s. If you wear it under your typical uniform jacket, I’m sure--” 

Mondo cuts him off with a kiss.

“Real thoughtful, Taka,” She grins. “I could give it a shot. Gonna bring a change of clothes just in case, though.” 

“Of course.” Taka nods. “I was able to procure a few women’s uniforms in your size using my status in the eyes of the school, and nothing points towards them being yours. Feel free to use them as you wish.” 

As an afterthought, he adds, “You should keep your hair down and back more often. It looks nice.” 

+

Taka remembers the day Mondo spoke to him about her self image problems well. 

It was a few months into their relationship at that point, and things were incredibly smooth sailing. That’s why Taka was so shocked when Mondo showed up at his door in the pouring rain, looking like she was about to explode any second now. 

He’d ushered her inside and gotten her a towel to dry off with before she could even say his name.

It was five o’clock on a Tuesday night, Mondo was sitting on his couch and dripping wet. Her hair had fallen around her shoulders and in her face. 

Taka couldn’t think of a single thing to say. So he waited. He waited for her to speak up.

“Sorry, bro,” was the first thing she said. “I should’a at least warned you I was gonna come over.” 

Taka blinked. “You are always welcome here, Mondo. Are you okay?” 

Mondo sniffed and rubbed her eyes on the back of her hand, then pushed her hair back out of her face. 

“I just feel real bad about things, alright? I’m real fuckin’ angry, and… and it’s not fair, so I gotta talk to you.” She pauses. “Yer old man’s not home?”

Taka shook his head quickly. 

“He won’t be back until late. Please, talk to me.” 

Mondo sighed. She put her head in her hands. 

“Uh,” She started eloquently. “Yer gay, right? I mean… no shit. We’ve been datin’ and all for a little bit now, I just have to… FUCK!” 

Taka jumped at the sudden volume change, and he felt Mondo cringe at herself next to him.

“Sorry. ‘m sorry. I didn’t mean t’ yell. I’m just… I’m fuckin’ worked up, Taka, and I’m scared. I’m scared shitless, bro.”

She looked scared. She looked more scared than Taka had ever seen her look. 

Taka liked to think he knew Mondo well. If he was any good at reading her emotions by now, which… well, granted, was never his strong suit, but with Mondo, he thought he could get inside her head just a little... if he was any good at it, he’d say she was putting up wall after wall between herself and what she wanted to say.

“There isn’t anything you can say that will make me turn my back on you,” Taka said. He’s pretty sure that’s what she wants to hear right now, and it’s true. “You have already told me so much. You trusted me with the information about your brother, and I’m still here. There’s not anything you could say to drive me away, and I mean it.” 

Mondo laughed at that. Not in the way she would have if she’d thought it was funny, though. More like… she didn’t believe a word that Taka was saying to her. He frowned.

“Is there really something bothering you so much?” He asked her.

Mondo sighed. She nodded, and stared at her shoes. “It’s so bullshit. I wasn’t s’posed to be in any kinda… uh, anything it’d matter. That doesn’t mean shit. ‘m sorry. Lemme try again.”

Taka nodded, and kept his mouth closed. Mondo had always struggled with explaining things well, and this was clearly something big, so all he could do was listen.

“When I killed --” Mondo started, but Taka cut her a glare. She sighed and corrected herself. “When Daiya  _ died. _ I know, I know. ‘s not my fault, or all that bullshit. Still.” She sighed. “I promised him I’d-- I’d be a  _ man _ , I’d keep goin’, and it was a  _ man’s _ promise, a promise b’tween  _ men. _ ” 

She laughed bitterly and leaned back against the couch. No matter how hard Taka tried, she wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

“And, I mean. Look at me, Taka,’ She said. “I’m just about the buffest fuckin’ guy you’ll ever see. And I talk all this shit, ‘bout bein’ a man, and I can’t even fuckin’ do that. It’s pitiful, that’s what it is.” 

Taka didn’t know exactly what she was getting at, but it was clearly something really important. Mondo ran her hand through her hair, panicked. 

“Taka, I…” She shut her eyes tightly, and Taka silently thanked whatever forces in the universe made it so his father was not home, because it was only seconds later that Mondo yelled: 

“YA DON’T WANT A FUCKIN’ GIRLFRIEND, TAKA.” She was tugging on her hair. “I’m not a MAN and I can’t be what ya want.” 

“You’re…” Taka said, but before he could pick apart the intricacies of what she was saying, he knew that what he needed to do was hug her. So he wrapped his arms around Mondo -- his  _ girlfriend _ \-- and leaned his head on her chest.

“Sorry, bro,” She mumbled. “I better go, huh?” 

Taka furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Absolutely not!” He said. “No, I don’t want you to go anywhere! I want to talk about this. I…” He trailed off, then regained his train of thought. “I’m sure you’ve said all you can say without my input. So I’ll ask. What’s your name?”

Mondo blinked. “My… what?” 

“Your name? Please, introduce yourself to me. I can go first if you want!” Taka grinned. He sat back, faced Mondo head on, and held out his hand.

“Hello! My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, but you can call me Taka. I believe in bold simplicity!” He said, smiling wide. “It’s a great pleasure to make your acquaintance!” 

When Mondo stared at him in confusion, he nodded his head towards her and she shook his hand. 

“Uh. Mondo Oowada,” She said. “Nice to meet ya? Taka, man, I don’t--” 

“Great!” Taka interrupted, taking his hand back. “While we’re at it, I am going to be upfront with you about some things so that we understand each other! I am bisexual, and while I certainily lean more towards men, I think that women are wonderful as well! I hope that is something you’re okay with, if we’re going to get along. I also use he/him pronouns!” 

Mondo stared at him with wide eyes. 

“I, uh…” She stumbled. “I’m BISEXUAL-- Fuck, sorry, I uh. ‘m bisexual. Also prefer men. Well, I prefer… you.” She chuckled. “And, uh… Shit. I can’t. It’s too fuckin’ cheesy, babe, I can’t do it. You obviously know what I’m tryna say, can’t you just…” 

Taka frowned. “Well, I don’t think that this is something I can do for you, Mondo.” At least they’d gotten that far. Taka was worried he’d been calling her by the wrong name. “It’s very important. For the record, though, I think you’re gorgeous. I love you very much, and I will do anything I can to make you more comfortable.”

Mondo’s mouth opened and closed a few times, and then it didn’t open again. So Taka continued.

“I strongly believe that above all, Daiya would want you to be happy,” He said softly. “Regardless of whether or not that consists of being a man. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re a man, I love you, and if you aren’t, I love you just as much.”

It took a minute for the fact that Mondo was crying to sink in. Taka had never seen her cry out of anything but anger before, and it hurt to know that she was so scared and there wasn’t anything he could do to fix it.

“Mondo,” He said. “Mondo, I need to know. Are you my girlfriend?” 

She nodded, and then she cried even harder. Taka leaned against her chest again, and spoke softly.

“This is Mondo,” He said quietly to himself, the same way he’d done with Chihiro all those years ago. “She’s my girlfriend. I love her.”

They sat there for hours. Taka was glad that Mondo could finally breathe, even if it was just a little bit.

+

It’s been at least a year since Mondo came out to Taka, but things haven’t gotten any easier for her. It’s a shame, too, because Taka strongly believes that she deserves the world.

He has a hard time paying attention in every class he has with Mondo, because all he can do is stare nervously at her from wherever he’s sitting. It’s out of character for him, sure, but he’s worried. Come lunch, Mondo is grilling him about it.

“Yer gonna get less than a hundred on an assignment if ya keep staring at me,” She says as they sit down across the table from Chihiro. “And I’m not gonna be responsible for the mental breakdown you have when yer grades go from perfect to almost-perfect.”

Taka laughs, grasping her hand under the table. “I’m going to be fine,” He says, then turning his attention to Chihiro. “Hello, Chihiro! How are you today?” 

“Fine,” Chihiro says with a shrug. “If any of that’s about what I said yesterday, you don’t have to worry about it, y’know.” She glances behind Taka, and when he turns, he sees that Sayaka is approaching their table. “It’s not my job to tell you what to do. Hi, Maizono!” 

Sayaka rounds the table and sits down next to Chihiro. “Hi! Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah,” Mondo says, stabbing her fork into the food in front of her. “Just small talk. You doin’ good today, Sayaka?” 

“I’m great!” Sayaka says with a grin. “I felt like I had to save Chihiro from sitting at a table with all boys, ‘cause us girls gotta stick together. I hope you don’t mind me being here!” 

Mondo stabs her lunch again, harder, and doesn’t eat it. Taka forces a grin.

“Of course we don’t mind, Maizono! You’re always welcome to sit with us! We very much enjoy--” 

“I‘m not a fuckin’ dude,” Mondo interrupts. 

Sayaka blinks.

“Oh!” She says, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth in shock. “Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea! I mean, nobody told me, I -- I’m sorry!” She blinks, and then tries to make a smooth recovery. “It looks like Ishimaru is outnumbered, then!” 

Mondo rolls her eyes. 

“Ya don’t gotta be fuckin’ polite, Sayaka,” She says. “Hit me with yer worst, I’ve prepared for it all.”

“Mondo--” Taka says, but Sayaka is responding before he can stop the conversation.

“Why would I?” She asks, tilting her head. “Oowada, I know we aren’t very close, but I’m not gonna be rude about something like this! Who else knows?” 

Mondo scowls, glaring at Sayaka, and doesn’t answer. Taka takes it upon himself to.

“Just Chihiro and I. Well, and now you, I suppose. You won’t tell anyone, right? Regardless. Welcome to the club!” He grins, then turns to his girlfriend. “Chihiro was right, see? People aren’t cruel, and they care about you.”

“They humor me,” Mondo grumbles. She turns to Sayaka. “That’s what it is, right? Yer humoring me? ‘Cause you don’t have to. I’m tough, and I know how people see me.” 

Chihiro puts her head in her hands, and Taka knows it's because she’s sick of hearing this same thing from Mondo over and over again.

“Mondo, that’s not the way you should be thinking,” Taka reminds her. She rolls her eyes.

Sayaka folds her hands on the table in front of her, and bites her lip, clearly lost in thought. Finally, she speaks.

“Well, of course I know. It’s hard, I’ll admit, because I’ve known you a few years now and you’re the last person I’d expect to hear this from,” She says. “But now that I think about it, I feel like a lot of the things that… well, push me away from thinking about you as someone who… would be a girl, they’re all things that you’ve probably internalized, right? It has nothing to do with how you look.” She pauses. “Okay, if you want me to be honest, a little bit it does. But that’s stupid of me and I’ll get over it. Plus, you’ve seen Sakura, right? And she’s beautiful!” 

Mondo hasn’t stopped staring at the tray of food in front of her the whole time Sayaka has been speaking. 

“Thanks,” She says quietly. “I guess. Jus’... well, don’t tell anyone, ‘kay? I’m not… This wasn’t my best moment.” 

Sayaka laughs lightly. “Of course!” She turns to Taka. “Take care of her, alright? You can’t keep letting her beat herself up like this.” 

“I know!” Taka exclaims. “I try to stop her, but she won’t listen. She’s a very stubborn woman! I’d like to see you try to get something like this through her head!” 

Mondo moves her tray and puts her head down on the table in front of her. Taka places his hand on her back and continues to idly chat with Sayaka, until the bell rings. 

Once Sayaka and Chihiro have left, Mondo lifts her head. 

“Mondo, are you okay?”

Mondo scowls. “Peachy.” 

Taka grins at her. “That was great! See? It won’t be that bad at all!” 

“Yer gonna be late for class,” Mondo grumbles. “Better get goin’ now.” 

+

While unassuming, and not a very close friend, Sayaka proves to be a great resource. Taka finds that out when she runs to catch up to him and Mondo as they’re walking to Mondo’s bike.

“Mondo! Taka!” She shouts, waving her hands frantically. Mondo scowls and turns to face her, and Taka greets her with a smile. “What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”

“None of yer business,” Mondo snaps, and Taka grabs her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “Sorry,” She apologizes quickly. “I’m still kinda worked up. I got nothin’ to do tomorrow.”

“I don’t have any plans either!” Taka grins. “Apart from studying, I can spare time for you if you would like to do something!”

“Great!” Sayaka grins. “Well, Hina and I are going to Sakura’s today. They’re actually waiting on me right now, so I gotta be quick. I told them I needed to ask you about a class, but that’s not the point. Basically I told Sakura that my cousin needed some new clothes and they had a similar build--” She paused, putting a hand on Mondo’s upper arm and squeezing. Her hand was gone before Mondo could react. “-- I mean, if anyone’s clothes are gonna fit you, they’ll be hers, right? And I know you’re not into that cutesy stuff or anything, but I’m sure I can find something, so I’m--” 

“Sayaka,” Mondo interrupts. “Listen, that’s real nice and all, but it’s not like I… Well, I can’t really do nothin’ with the clothes anyway, right? So you don’t gotta worry about it.”

Sayaka rolls her eyes. “That’s total bullshit. What about when you’re hanging out with us and Chihiro?” 

Mondo blinks. “What, are we gonna do that now?” 

“That’s a great idea, Maizono!” Taka grins. “It will make it easier for her to work her way up to telling other people, too! Comfort is key!” He laughs. “Mondo, you should be more appreciative. Besides, why wouldn’t you want to spend time with Sayaka?” 

Mondo stares at the ground, one of her fists curled up tightly. 

“I can’t fuckin’ do this. Thanks, Sayaka. I, uh… well, we can talk ‘bout that tomorrow, right?” She licks her lips quickly. “Sorry, it’s a whole lot. Thanks.” 

Sayaka nods, giving them a thumbs up. 

“We can make plans at lunch tomorrow! It’ll be so fun!” She giggles, and then she’s skipping off. 

Taka turns to Mondo.

“She’s being very nice,” He says. “You should be a little more grateful.”

“Fuck,” Mondo swears. “I’m tryin’ to be, really, I am. ‘m sorry, bro. I must be comin’ off as a total dickhead. I’ll be nicer tomorrow, I swear.” 

Taka nods, and he stands on his toes to press a kiss to his girlfriend’s lips.

“I have a lot of work to do tonight. Don’t make yourself too upset before I can see you in the morning.”

Mondo chuckles, ruffling Taka’s hair a little. 

“Don’t worry about it,” She says. “I’ll call ya if I get worked up about somethin’, but I’m sure I’ll be alright. A lot happened today, ‘s all.”

Taka nods. He wraps her into a hug, and then watches as she gets on her bike. She blows him a kiss, and then she’s gone. Taka smiles to himself. He hopes she has a nice day tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: use of the t slur once in this chapter

School the next day comes and goes as any normal day would, aside from making plans with Sayaka during lunch, but before Taka knows it, there are three girls in his home and two trash bags full of clothes.

He sits against Mondo’s side on the couch, watching as Sayaka and Chihiro pull the living room table out of the way and dump out the bags of clothes on the floor.

“Uh,” Mondo starts. “I mean, thanks? I dunno what I expected, but…” 

“Shush,” Sayaka says. “It’s my pleasure. And I avoided all the peppy pink stuff, I know that’s not your style.”

Mondo laughs nervously. “Yeah, not at all.” 

“Mondo, listen.” It’s Chihiro this time. “You don’t have to listen to us at all, you don’t have to wear a single thing in these bags. We just want you to have options.”

“I know I don’t gotta keep any of that shit,” Mondo snaps. “I never thought for a goddamn second you could tell me what to do.”

Taka elbows her in the ribs, and she swears under her breath. 

“Sorry,” She apologizes, and tries again. “I, uh… Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t push myself or nothin’. Thanks.”

So, the flurry of activity from Sayaka, who is a very take-charge, can-do girl, commences. Occasionally, Chihiro will poke her hands in there, but Sayaka moves too fast. Before Taka knows what’s happening, Mondo looks like a completely different person.

She, well… She looks gorgeous. Sayaka knows exactly what she’s doing. 

Taka can see Mondo trying to put up a front, and hide exactly how nervous and flustered she is. Her almost unwavering confidence through pretty much any situation is something that Taka has admired, and seeing her trying to project something like that right now makes him… well, a little relieved. He wants to see her happy with herself, and he knows that the best thing you can do is fake it until you make it.

She crosses her arms over her chest, which is covered in a loose white tank top, not much different from her normal style. The biggest difference is… well, Taka can’t help but notice the extra… protrusion from her chest. Not by much, because she’s very fit to begin with, but enough to catch his eye. He can feel his cheeks heat up, so he pulls his eyes away from her chest and looks at the rest of what she’s wearing.

It’s definitely her style. There’s a jacket on over her tank-top, black and studded and coming down to her mid-thighs, where Taka’s eyes are then drawn to her skirt -- short, above her knees, ending around where the jacket does. There’s a wallet chain attached to one of the belt loops, and her normal chunky belt is on. 

The thing about it all is that looking at it doesn’t seem  _ new. _ It just seems  _ right. _

“C’mon,” Mondo snaps after a few minutes have passed, and Taka’s eyes snap up to her face. He realizes that his jaw is ajar. “Yeah, it’s bad, but it can’t be  _ that _ bad.” 

“Don’t say that!” Taka hears Sayaka say faintly. 

He licks his lips. “It’s not bad,” is all he can manage in the moment. He knows he sounds like an idiot. He blinks and tries again. “Mondo, this looks more like you than I’ve ever seen you look before.”

Mondo laughs in disbelief. “No offense, babe, but that’s total horseshit.”

“He’s right,” Chihiro chips in. “You look great. I- I mean, it’s easy to want to try things that don’t suit you and then feel really bad about it, right? If you tried to go for my look, well, that’d be kind of painful.” She giggles, and then continues. “But really, Mondo. You look like yourself!” 

Mondo huffs and rolls her eyes, tightening her grip on herself. “I don’t think yer tellin’ the truth, but whatever.” She sits back down on the couch next to Taka, shifting until she can sit comfortably. 

Taka presses a kiss to her cheek. “Well, nonetheless! We are making progress!” He turns to Sayaka and Chihiro. “Thank you for helping! You’re welcome to stay for dinner if you’d like!” 

+

Taka is relieved to see that Mondo loosens up during dinner. Sayaka must be some sort of ethereal being to crack through her shell like this, but maybe it’s just the fact that she’s taking charge and doing her best to help. Taka feels bad for sitting back for so long. 

Once they leave, Mondo sheds her jacket and lays back on the couch with a heavy sigh. Taka chews on his lip, carefully sitting down on the adjacent armchair.

“Are you feeling alright?” He asks meekly.

Mondo hesitates.

“Dunno,” She says. “Just overwhelmed.”

Then, she laughs. 

Taka furrows his eyebrows. “Is something funny?”

Mondo laughs some more, and then shakes her head.

“No, no. ‘s just kinda crazy, huh? All this time and nothin’ like this has ever happened to me before. I dunno if I could’a handled it before now, though.” 

A small smile finds its way to Taka’s face. “I’m glad you’ve gotten here. I’m very sorry it didn’t happen sooner.”

Mondo sits up and pulls her tank top over her head, shedding it to the ground along with the slightly stuffed bra that Sayaka had put her in. On instinct, Taka looks away. 

“Did you end up with a nice assortment of clothes?” He asks her. 

She laughs and says, “Taka, babe, come here. You’re too far away.”

Taka clears his throat and squeezes into the spot on the couch next to Mondo, because she has her legs spread out across the whole thing. She wraps her arms around him and kisses the top of his head.

“I dunno how often I can do this sorta thing,” She says. “But it’s cool t’ have the chance. I don’t like gettin’ all cheesy about it, but it’s  _ real _ cool. I could maybe get somewhere like this, y’know?”

“You certainly can!” Taka exclaims. “I think we can get the metaphorical ball rolling, thanks to Sayaka! It was a very good move for you to tell her!” 

Mondo groans. “I was jus’ mad. It wasn’t my best minute. I could’a handled it a lot better if I wasn’t so dumb and hotheaded.” 

Taka scrunches up his face. “Do  _ not  _ call my girlfriend dumb!” 

“Oh, shut up, you fuckin’ dweeb.”

“No! I’m serious! That’s my girlfriend, and I will not tolerate people being rude to her!” 

“Taka!” Mondo whines. “‘m sorry, okay? Fuckin’ christ. Just lemme say what I’m tryna say.” She laughs, holding him a little closer. “Point is, I should prob’ly be smarter about this kinda stuff, huh?”

Taka shrugs a little. “I just think that you should do it how you’d like to. Sayaka is… well, she’s very forward. That’s good, sure, but you don’t have to listen to any of us on these matters.”

“I know,” Mondo says. She pauses. “Let’s talk about something else. Can I take you on a ride on my bike?” 

Taka ponders this for a second. Then, he says, “Okay, if you’ll wear something else that Sayaka brought over while we do it.”

Mondo grins and slides Taka off her chest, standing up to get changed. Taka watches her go, smile on his face. 

“I love you!” He calls after her. 

She laughs. “Love ya too, babe!”

+

The next few months are nice. Sayaka and Chihiro come over more and more often to hang out, and it becomes something Taka constantly looks forward to. Eventually, Chihiro convinces Mondo to let her do her makeup. 

It genuinely seems like she’s becoming more comfortable. That’s why it’s hardly a shock when she announces that she’s going to be more open from here on out.

Chihiro and Sayaka are over for dinner again -- it’s Sayaka’s turn to cook. They take turns, except Mondo isn’t allowed anymore because the last time she tried she almost set the kitchen on fire. 

The food isn’t even ready when she says, “I’m gonna wear the girls uniform to school.”

Sayaka almost drops the pan she’s holding. Taka feels his jaw go ajar. 

Chihiro is the first one to speak. Mondo clearly feels like its been years since she dropped her plan, judging by the way she’s wringing her hands.

“A-are you sure?” Chihiro asks, then quickly tries to save herself. “I mean, of course you should do that if you want to! That would be great, Mondo, and we’d all have your back.” 

“Chihiro’s right,” Taka finally says. “If that’s what you want to do, by all means, you should do it.”

Mondo runs a hand through her hair and laughs nervously.

“Jeez, you guys are makin’ it sound like the worst idea in the world,” she says. “Maybe it is.”

“No!” Sayaka exclaims, and she puts the pan down so she can rush to Mondo’s side. “Don’t let me burn the rice. It’s  _ not _ a bad idea! I’m sure Chihiro just wanted to make sure you didn’t have any reservations. Right, Chi?”

Chihiro nods frantically. “Exactly!” 

Taka opens and closes his mouth a few times. He doesn’t want to say anything before he knows exactly what he intends to say. It takes a few moments, and Mondo is looking at him expectantly, but he’s finally able to come up with something.

“I think if you’re ready, you absolutely should,” He says. “You know if anyone gives you a hard time, I will not hesitate to enforce a punishment on them. Hate speech and anything aligned with it is strictly against school policy, and while others may not push that, I certainly will. I think that perhaps you should tell one or two more people in our class, over the phone maybe? But regardless. I will support you no matter what you decide.”

Mondo breathes out a sigh of relief. 

“Man, fuck you,” She jokes. “I thought you were gonna tell me I couldn’t pull it off or some shit. Terrifying.”

“I would never!” Taka nearly shouts. “You have to know that’s extremely out of character for me and would never cross my mind!” 

Before the shouting match between the two can begin, Sayaka says, “I’m going to keep cooking, alright? Don’t kill each other before dinner is ready.”

+

Apparently, Mondo’s preparation for the next day consists of texting three people (Makoto, Kyoko, and Leon) “hey im a chick” about five minutes before she walks in the school doors. 

Taka is in awe of her every step from the second he sees her that day.

Sayaka and Chihiro promise to follow a few feet behind in the hallways when they can, but Mondo had sworn a million times that she didn’t need anyone’s help. Taka gently reminds them that this is not their fight.

Not even ten minutes after entering the school building, Mondo checks her phone.

Taka clicks his teeth and snatches it out of her hand.

“Hey!” She yelps. “What the fuck, dude?”

“Language!” Taka reminds her, speaking loud and clear. “No phones allowed out on school grounds, Ms Oowada. You can find me after school if you want this returned to you.”

Mondo grumbles and swears under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest tightly. “Dickhead. I just wanted t’ see what they said.” 

“I know,” Taka says. “I think it’s best that you wait. Perhaps speak to them in person. Here comes Makoto now!” 

It’s true -- Makoto is currently half-jogging down the hallway towards them, surely to avoid getting reprimanded for running.

“Mondo!” He shouts, then promptly stumbling over his untied shoelaces and almost smashing his face into the cold floor of the hall. 

Mondo laughs. “Nice catch, little dude,” She says, watching Makoto brush dirt that students tracked into the building off of his pants. “You almost totally ate shit.” 

“Language,” Taka says again, but Mondo waves him off. 

Makoto cracks a smile. 

“Yeah, lucky I caught myself before my face hit the ground, huh?” He laughs. “Uh, I got your text. I didn’t respond, ‘cause I had to come inside, but… Well, I wanted to talk about it.” 

Mondo lifts an eyebrow, staying cool and collected, but Taka can tell that she’s about to come undone.

“I dunno if there’s much to talk about,” She says, voice steady. “You can see me right now, huh? That’s all there is to it.” 

Makoto blinks. He hesitates for a second. Then -- 

“Yeah, no, right! Totally! So, should I just pass that along, then?” He asks. “I mean, I dunno if you told anyone else, but it doesn’t seem like a big secret or anything. Hey, what’s your name? I mean, if you changed it.” And then he’s rambling. “You totally don’t have to, I know a lot of people don’t. Who else knows? Like, properly. I’m sure Taka’s known for a while, right? That’d be pretty jarring if he didn’t. I mean, imagine thinking you’ve got a boyfriend all this time, and then --”

“Naegi,” Mondo interrupts.

Makoto’s mouth snaps shut. His face goes three shades darker. 

“Sorry.” 

“Yer fine.” 

Silence falls on the group, and the chattering of students swimming around them in the hall feels a million times louder.

“So, it’s still Mondo?” Makoto finally asks.

Mondo nods. They stare at each other until Makoto decides he’s done enough staring. 

“Awesome,” He says. “That’s cool.” 

Then, he turns on his heel and leaves.

+

Okay, so maybe it isn’t Taka’s best moment when he decides to take his girlfriend’s phone out of his pocket and check her texts while he’s in the bathroom. His concern and curiosity manage to get the best of him. 

He finds himself standing in the far corner of the men’s room, contemplating whether or not to turn the phone on. He doesn’t know her password, so all he’s going to get is new notifications, but… 

He’s staring at the lock screen before he can think any better of himself.

**NEW NOTIFICATIONS**

**kiri:** Duly noted. 

**kiri** : Thank you for informing me. 

**leon** : lol

**leon** : good one bro

**leon** : ur totally steppin on fujisakis toes LMAO 

Taka closes the phone. He breathes out a sigh of relief. Nothing too bad. Well… maybe he’ll have to talk to Leon later, because he’s not sure that the baseball player has gotten it through his head quite yet, but all in all things could be worse.

He shoves the phone back in his bag and leaves for lunch. 

Taka finds that Makoto and Kyoko have joined their typical lunch group for the day, as he notices Makoto and Sayaka laughing about something next to Chihiro, and Kyoko is quietly eating her lunch on one side of Mondo. Taka sits down carefully.

“Hey, bro!” Mondo says with a grin, wrapping her arm around him. Taka smiles. 

“How are you doing?” He asks her, then turns to Kyoko. “Good afternoon, Kirigiri!” 

“I’m fuckin’ great,” Mondo says. “Kiri’s one hell of a chick, yanno.”

Kyoko takes a bite of her lunch, and then says, “I wouldn’t phrase it that way, but I could say the same of you.”

Mondo laughs and presses a kiss to the side of Taka’s face with a loud  _ smack _ . Taka pushes her face away.

“No PDA on school grounds!” He yelps, but he’s smiling. Makoto and Chihiro both break into laughter.

“Taka!” Makoto says. “Let your girlfriend kiss you. You’re the only one who cares about that rule!” 

Taka feels his cheeks heat up. “Nonetheless,” is all he can say. He looks down at his food and not at anyone else. Mondo pulls him closer to her side.

Silence falls over the group for just a second, and then Sayaka speaks. 

“I think things are going super well, huh, Mondo?” She asks. “I mean, this is one of the best outcomes you could have expected!” 

Mondo laughs. “Yeah, whatever,” She says. “My luck is prob’ly gonna run out soon and I’m gonna have to beat the shit outta some bastard in the hallways. Keep an eye out, Taka.” 

Taka frowns. “You shouldn’t resort to physical violence! I will speak with anyone who is rude to you.”

Mondo rolls her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Hey, d’ya think Kirigiri and Makoto could come to dinner sometime?” 

“Of course!” Taka says. “That would be wonderful. It’s not as if we don’t have the space. As long as they chip in and help with the ingredients like everyone else does, I don’t see why not!”

“I’m not a very good cook,” Kyoko says, “but I would be willing to supply store-bought food, or some money for someone else to cook. May I invite Celeste?” 

“Mondo’s not allowed to cook either,” Chihiro says. “She brings over ingredients and we all ignore the fact that she almost set Taka’s kitchen on fire when she tried. And I’m cool with Celeste coming if everyone else is!”

Taka is admittedly kind of nervous about the idea of Celeste in his house, but they don’t butt heads nearly as much as she does with some of the other students, and he feels like he should get a little closer to her, so he says, “Yes, sure! How about you all come over on Friday?”

There’s a mumble of agreement over the table, and the rest of lunch goes smoothly. Taka hasn’t had this good of a time over lunch in a while.

+

Mondo’s good luck runs out sometime after lunch. She and Taka are walking to their next class, Makoto and Sayaka chatting a few feet behind them, when Mondo gets a solid hand pushed against her chest.

“Stop walkin’, dude.”

It’s Leon. Taka straightens his back.

“Please remove your hand from Ms Oowada’s chest,” He says sternly. “You shouldn’t invade your classmates’ personal space, especially without their permission.”

Leon rolls his eyes. “Oh, whatever. You’re not part of this conversation.” He looks to Mondo. “Mondo, man, you can’t be fuckin’ serious.” 

“I’m fuckin’ serious,” Mondo responds, deadpan. “I don’t wanna hear any of yer bullshit. We’re friends, right? If yer gonna be a dickhead, I’m just not gonna listen to it.” 

A small crowd has gathered, which is the last thing Taka wants to deal with. He knows he can’t deter Leon  _ or _ Mondo, so he focuses on waving people away from the two of them. Makoto and Sayaka have stopped a few feet back. He lets them stay.

Leon laughs -- he  _ laughs _ . 

“And you expect me to  _ believe _ that shit?” He asks. “Look at yourself, dude. No way you’re a fucking tranny --” 

There’s a smack. Taka hardly has time to react before Leon is on the ground and Sayaka is trying to shake the pain out of her fist. 

Leon rubs his jaw, and grumbles, “Yeah, I prob’ly deserved that.” He spits, and blood flies out of his mouth. “But if you expect me to be on board with this, you’re nuts.” 

Taka writes out two detention slips among the stunned silence. He hands one politely to Sayaka, and drops the other into Leon’s lap. 

“I’ll see you both after school,” He says. “We can have a word about this then. In the meantime, I believe all of you should be on the way to class.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: 1 use of the f slur and 1 use of the t slur, both uncensored

Mondo manages to not land herself in detention, which Taka thinks is for the best, because right now his group for after school consists of Leon, Sayaka, and Junko Enoshima (who he caught vaping in the bathroom.) He’s not looking forward to the next hour in the slightest.

He sits at the front of the classroom after returning Mondo’s phone to her. Now that he has Leon nearly alone, he wants to interrogate the life out of him for the stunt he pulled in the hallway. 

Leon scrunches up his face.

“I know you wanna say somethin’, dickwad, so just say it,” He says. “Mondo’s my friend and this is  _ definitely _ your fault somehow --”

“So!” Taka interrupts. “I’m sure you’re all aware why you’re here?” 

Leon puts his head down on the desk in front of him. Behind him, Junko is sitting on top of the desk and flicking dirt from under her nails.

“I’m here for vaping in the bathroom,” She says, sounding bored. “But I think whatever’s going on between you two prettyboys is  _ waaaay _ more interesting.” She looks up at Taka. “Is this about your total weirdo boyfriend?”

“Oh, my  _ God,”  _ Sayaka says, exasperated. “Don’t either of you know how to be decent human beings?”

Leon groans and raises his hands in a surrender. 

“You already punched me!” He says.

“And I’d do it again.” 

“Please don’t, Maizono,” Taka says. 

Leon rolls his eyes. “Listen, I shouldn’t have said what I said. Punch me all you want. But I still can’t believe shit like that coming from someone like him.” 

“Her,” Sayaka grumbles. “Don’t be an asshole.” 

“This is not your fight, Maizono,” Taka tells her. “It’s hardly mine. Leon, if she’s your friend, you should trust that she knows herself better than you do.” 

“Or you did this to him,” Junko says, still not looking at any particular person in the room. “Ishimaru, you’re totes faggy enough to make someone like him think twice, right?” 

Sayaka stands up from her desk, but Taka holds up a hand to stop her from punching someone for the second time today. She sits back down with a huff.

“Junko, respectfully, nothing you have to say on this matter has any meaning to me,” Taka informs her. “Sayaka, violence is not the answer. And Leon, if you really want to make sense of it, the best thing you can do is ask her about it. Resorting to hate speech is uncalled for.” 

As an afterthought, he adds, “That goes for you as well, Junko. It’s unnecessary. And please sit in the chair rather than on top of the desk.”

Junko flips him off and says, “You’re super lucky I actually bothered to show up today. I figured with the fight in the hall there might actually be somethin’ interesting going on! If you’re just gonna spout nonsense like a walking thesaurus and nobody’s gonna get punched, I should just head out.”

Despite his better judgement, Taka lets out an audible groan.

“I’m sorry,” He says. “This is unprofessional of me, but it’s what I feel needs to be done. Junko, I shouldn’t trust you to stay here by yourself for the remainder of the hour, but I’m going to.”

“Not smart,” Junko says.

Taka ignores her, and continues. “Sayaka, apologize to Leon.”

Sayaka sighs. She turns to Leon.

“I’m  _ sorry, _ I guess. I shouldn’t have punched you in the face.” She pauses. “I should have kicked you in the balls instead.”

Taka fixes her with a glare. She rolls her eyes and manages a smile. “I’m sorry, Leon.”

Leon scoffs. “Whatever.” 

Taka turns to Leon next.

“Leon, I’ll allow you to leave now if you swear you’ll make things right with Mondo,” He says. “I can’t let you get away with treating her the way that you did.” 

“ _ God,”  _ Leon snaps. “Whatever. Fine. I’ll talk to him.”

“Her,” Sayaka says again. Leon rolls his eyes. “Can we go now, Taka?” 

Taka nods hesitantly. “Yes, I have something to attend to, so you’re free to go. Except Junko. But I assume you’ll be leaving anyway?”

“You assume right, bitchboy,” Junko says, hopping off the desk and walking right out the door. Taka knows he should stop her, but he’s too tired and too worried about Mondo. He watches his classmates file out of the detention room, takes a second to breathe, and walks out the door after them.

+

Mondo is waiting by her bike for him when he leaves the school. Taka jogs to catch up to her and wraps his arms around her waist from behind. She yelps.

“Taka!” She shouts. “You scared the shit outta me, bro! At least give me a warning!” 

“Sorry,” Taka mumbles. He presses his face against her back. “I couldn’t stand to stay there with them. I drilled them for a bit and then left.”

“Really?” Mondo asks, and she pulls him around so they’re facing each other. “You good? That doesn’t sound like somethin’ you’d do.”

Taka pulls her into a tight hug. He doesn’t ever want to let go. 

“I told Leon to talk to you,” He says against her shirt. “I don’t think he means any real harm. I’m sorry that happened, though. Things were going really well.”

Mondo laughs and ruffles Taka’s hair. 

“‘s fine,” She says. “It’s not like I thought everythin’ was gonna go smooth. I thought everyone would act like that.” 

Taka sighs. “Was anyone else rude to you?”

“Just Junko,” Mondo tells him. “But I saw that comin’ from a mile away. She never liked me much to begin with. She’s kind of a heinous bitch most’a the time.”

“A very rude thing to say about one of your peers,” Taka says as he pulls away from Mondo. “Would you like to go to the park or something? I will ride on the bike with you, if you want.” 

Mondo lights up at that. Taka knew it would make her happy, that’s the whole reason he asked. He’s terrified to death of her motorcycle, but she loves it, so he’s learning to get over it and trust that she’s safe.

+

It takes about ten minutes to get to the park. Taka leans against a tree and watches Mondo fuss with her hair. 

“You look good,” Taka tells her. “Don’t worry right now. You’ve done enough of that today.” 

Mondo scoffs and rolls her eyes. “You hafta say that, since we’re datin’.” 

Taka ignores that and reaches for her hand, pulling her to a park bench and sitting down. She sits down next to him, and he immediately leans against her side. 

“You did it,” He finally says. “Does it feel any better?”

Mondo sighs. She bites her lip and says, “I don’t know. It should. It’s… not as heavy. But I dunno if it’s better.”

Taka nods. He closes his eyes. 

“It’s going to be,” He tells her. “I’m going to make sure of it.” 

The silence is nice while it lasts. Then, Mondo’s phone buzzes from her pocket. She shifts to check it. 

“Fuck,” She swears under her breath. “It’s Leon. He says he wants to talk.” 

Taka bites his lip. “You should talk to him. He doesn’t seem… like he has ill intentions or anything. I think he may just be confused.” 

“Didn’t keep him from callin’ me a tranny,” Mondo grumbles, but she opens her phone and starts to text him back. When Taka looks over her shoulder, he can see that she’s asking him where and when. Leon asks if he can just call her, because he doesn’t want to lose his temper again. 

Mondo looks to Taka as if to ask permission. Taka nods silently, and then the phone is ringing. 

She checks that nobody else is around, and then puts it on speakerphone.

“What’s up?” She asks him. He laughs on the other end. 

“You know damn well what’s up.” 

He still sounds bitter. Taka is sure he is. Mondo sighs.

“Listen, man, I don’t know what ya want me to tell ya,” She says, running a hand through her hair nervously. “I don’t expect ya to get it or anything, but can you not be a dick about something for once in yer life?”

Leon’s eye roll is almost audible. “I’m not a dick about plenty of things. I think I should be allowed to be a dick about this.”

Mondo throws her head back and  _ laughs.  _ “No the fuck you shouldn’t! It’s not even yer problem! It’s mine and mine only.” She pauses. “And Taka’s a little. But not a lot! It’s mine, and ya shouldn’t throw a stupid fuckin’ tantrum about it. I don’t care what you think, man. I just thought you were my friend. It’s yer own fuckin’ problem if you’re gonna get on my ass about this.”

Mondo clearly does care, judging by the tears visibly threatening to spill out of her eyes and the way her voice cracks. There’s a lengthy silence.

“Sorry, dude,” Leon says. He pauses. “Can I say that?” 

“What?” Mondo asks, clearly taken off guard. She blinks. “Can you say what? Dude?” 

“...Yeah. I mean. I should ask just in case, right?” 

Taka stifles a laugh as Mondo goes on to say, “Dude, are you fuckin’ nuts? I’m not someone else. You don’t gotta tread lightly. Jus’ don’t be a dick, alright?” 

Leon is silent again. 

“Oh,” He says. “Okay. I still don’t get it.” 

“You don’t have to.”

“But --” 

“If ya ask me a question, I’ll answer it, but you don’t hafta understand. It’s not yer problem.” 

“Uh…” Leon says. “Are you gonna chop your dick off?”

“Bye, Leon.”

“Wait! I just --"

Mondo hangs up the phone, and Taka immediately breaks into a laughing fit. 

“What a jackass,” Mondo complains, shoving her phone in her pocket. “I mean. That could’a gone worse. But man, what a jackass.”

“He’s trying!” Taka says through his laughter. “I’m sure he will get it soon. He must be worried that he’s going to become acquainted with Sayaka’s fist again.”

“ _ My _ fist ‘s gonna meet his face if he keeps this bullshit up,” Mondo mumbles, wrapping her arm around Taka and pulling him closer. “Yeah, he’s tryin’. He’s just a jerk. Dunno what I expected from him, honestly.” 

“You’re allowed to expect good things out of your friends,” Taka tells her. “Give him a little time, though, and I’m sure everything will be alright.”

Mondo scoffs, but Taka can tell she’s listening. He knows she’ll give Leon some time.

+

Friday comes quickly, and with each passing day, Taka can see the more of the terror leaving Mondo’s posture upon being at school.

Makoto and Kyoko are at lunch with them two out of the four days left in the week. It’s Friday, the day that everyone is planning on coming to Taka’s, and it’s when Mondo finally asks Kyoko, “Hey, why’d you want Celeste around for dinner anyways?” 

If Kyoko were anyone else, Taka assumes she would be blushing right now. She bows her head a little and stares at the center of her tray. 

“I would enjoy the chance to converse with her outside of a school environment,” She says, and because for some reason she and Taka are on the same wavelength, it immediately translates in his head as, “I want to get closer to her, because I think she’s cute.” 

Nobody else seems to clock that as anything but Kyoko’s typical actions. Taka stares at her a little bit too long.

As he’s walking to his next class, Taka catches up with Kyoko. 

“Kirigiri!” He says. “I just wanted to wish you luck on your endeavours!” 

Kyoko’s eyes are daggers. “Not necessary,” She says, but Taka can tell she’s embarrassed that he brought her crush on Celeste up in public. “I’ll be seeing you later, then?” 

Taka nods. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it!” 

Kyoko walks a little faster, to escape him. Taka wonders when he learned how to speak fluent Kyoko, but instead focuses on trying to script the conversation he’s going to have with her later. 

+

Celeste ends up agreeing to come, and Taka, for one, is glad. Both because he’d love to get to know Celeste better, and because he hopes that Kyoko will be able to do whatever she intends to do during the evening.

It’s not more than ten minutes later that the group of students have all made their way to Taka’s house. His heart starts beating a little bit faster, but Mondo apparently is psychic and puts her hand on his shoulder at the exact right time. 

“It’s gonna be fine, bro,” She says quietly, pulling him against her side. “Ya worry too much. Jus’ because it’s more people doesn’t mean it’s gonna be that much harder. Plus, we’re all friends here.”

Taka takes a deep breath in and out, rolls his shoulders back, and nods.

“It’s going to be fine!” He says, more for himself than for Mondo. “I trust Chihiro to cook, and I will be able to socialize!” 

He walks away from Mondo, probably quicker than she thinks is normal, and beelines for where Kyoko and Celeste are chatting in the living room. He sits on the adjacent armchair.

“How are you two doing this afternoon?” He asks them. 

Celeste looks up at him like he’s committed the most atrocious sin in the known universe. Kyoko licks her lips and looks Taka in the eyes. 

“We are doing fine, Ishimaru. Thank you for having us over,” She says.

Taka nods. “Of course. I hope you’ll come more than just this time! It’s always nice to socialize with my peers!” 

Kyoko stares so hard at Taka that he immediately takes the hint and leaves. He finds himself right back at Mondo’s side.

“Kyoko has a crush on Celeste,” He mumbles to her. Her eyes widen.

_ “What?”  _

“Be quiet,” Taka says quickly. “Don’t say anything.” 

Mondo has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She looks over her shoulder at where Kyoko and Celeste are sitting, and lifts an eyebrow. “She doesn’t seem any friendlier,” She observes. 

Taka shakes his head. “She’s unbelievably nervous and embarrassed right now. I can tell.”

Mondo laughs. “You can?” 

“I think we should invite them both more often,” Taka continues absently. “I truly wish to help Kirigiri throughout this.” 

“Wow, what a hero,” Mondo drawls sarcastically. “I’m gonna go see if Chi needs any help cooking.”

She presses a kiss to the side of Taka’s face and walks into the kitchen. Taka’s eyes follow her until she’s gone.

Sitting in this room full of people chatting and enjoying themselves… if he’s being honest, it’s the most comfortable Taka has been with his peers in a while.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: weed

Taka gets a phone call from Mondo on Saturday night. 

He was expecting it, because she’d agreed to go hang out with Leon that night and see if they could still get along, but he jumps when the phone rings anyway. It doesn’t have a chance to ring twice before Taka answers it.

“Mondo?” He asks quickly. “Is everything okay?”   
It’s around ten o’clock, about four and a half hours after she left for Leon’s house, and he hasn’t heard a single thing from her since then.

Mondo laughs right into the receiver.

“Babe!” She shouts, and Taka can hear Leon laughing in the background. “Hey, can I come over?” 

“Of course!” Taka says immediately. “Are you alright? Did something happen?” 

“Nah!” Mondo laughs again, “Nah, not at all. Leon’s a good dude. We were, uh…” She trails off for a minute, then regains her train of thought. “There was too much tension. So he was like, hey, let’s just fuckin’, uh… Relax, right? Let’s just fuckin’ relax. And we have been, and ‘s been so good”

“So, you want to come over here?” Taka asks. 

“Yeah, I miss you!” Mondo shouts. There’s a silence, and then she asks, “Hey, d’ya think Leon can come over? I know yer old man might be home, but…” 

“He will be soon,” Taka says. “But I don’t see why not. Do you have a way of getting here?” 

Leon laughs more on the other line. It takes a minute for Mondo to respond again. 

“I’d drive us,” She says slowly. “I’ve got my fuckin’, uh, bike here. But I don’t want ya to get mad at me.”

“I’ll call a car!” Leon shouts in the background. “Hey, Taka! You’re funky, man. You’re a funky little guy. Be good to Mondo, yeah? I wanna give you a hug.”

“...Are you drunk?” Taka asks, just to make sure he’s in the loop.

“Weed!” Leon yells. 

Mondo laughs, “Yeah! Weed. So I’m not gonna… take my bike. Leon’s gonna figure it out, and I’ll see you when I g--” 

The phone goes dead. Taka buries his head in his hands.

Sometime around thirty long, long minutes later, there’s a quiet knock at the door. Taka stands up from the couch and opens the door, and is immediately wrapped in Leon’s arms and lifted off the ground. 

He reeks of marijuana. Taka scrunches his nose up, struggles to plant his feet back on the ground, and pushes Leon an arm’s length away from himself.

“Kuwata,” He says. 

Leon laughs, and Mondo immediately slaps a hand over his mouth.

“Taka’s dad is prob’ly sleepin’!” She whisper-yells.

Leon snickers, and Taka watches the two of them interact for a second. Then, he sighs and leads them back to his bedroom.

+

Taka isn’t sure what time it is anymore. 

He’s sitting on his bed, knees tucked to his chest, just above his girlfriend on the bed. He can’t fall asleep, not while Mondo and Leon are potentially able to injure themselves. It’s okay, though, because he’s run fine on less sleep than this before. 

Leon is sitting next to him, and Mondo is laying across the bed, head in his lap. She stares at the ceiling as Leon runs his hands through her hair.

“You’re real cool, Ishi,” Leon mumbles. He curls his fingers up in Mondo’s hair. “Sorry I’m, like, a total bitch.” 

“You’re okay, Kuwata,” Taka says quietly. He watches Mondo’s chest move as she breathes in and out, and then sighs, standing up and walking quietly to the nearby bathroom.

Leon blinks slowly. “Where ya goin’?” 

Taka puts a finger to his lips, and then grabs a pack of makeup wipes from a hidden cosmetics bag in the back of the bathroom. 

He sits back down on the bed and leans over Mondo. Leon watches him silently.

“Mondo,” Taka says quietly. “This is going to be cold.”

Mondo mumbles something that might be vague displeasure, and scrunches up her face when Taka presses one of the makeup wipes against her skin.

“Too cold,” She mutters. “Taka, ‘s cold.”

“It’s bad for your skin to leave makeup on overnight,” Taka tells her. “Just a few more minutes.”

He manages to get all the makeup off her face as quickly as possible. Then, he moves to the side of the bed and begins unlacing her boots.

He can still feel Leon’s eyes burning into his head. 

“Do you have something to say?” Taka asks softly, still working on making Mondo comfortable for bed. “You two are friends, right? I’m going to remove her skirt and replace it with sweatpants.” 

“Uh,” Leon says. His face goes slightly redder. “Yeah, whatever. We’ve changed in front of each other like, a million times before.”

Taka nods, unbuttoning the top of Mondo’s skirt and taking it off. He has her in sweatpants as quickly as he possibly can. 

“Leon?” He asks. “Would you mind getting her shirt? She doesn’t like to wake up in a shirt, it’s always too warm.” 

Leon bites his lip and hesitantly removes Mondo’s shirt. He stares at the bra underneath it. 

“What do I…” He looks at Taka desperately. “What do I do?”

Taka stifles a laugh. He sits back down next to Leon.

“Leave it on,” He says. “You can deal with that, right? Or is your friend’s chest just too pleasing to look at like this?”

“Oh, shut up,” Leon grumbles. He leans his head back against the headboard and begins running his hand through Mondo’s hair again.

“I’m sorry,” He says. “I was such a total dickhead. ‘nd I’m sorry for inviting myself over, too. Especially after being such a total dickhead.”

Taka hasn’t moved his eyes from Mondo’s nearly-asleep form. 

“If you are going to do things like this, please make sure she’s only doing what she can handle,” He says. “And know that I am a resource when things seem like they might go wrong.” 

Leon nods. He bites his lip. 

“But like,” He says, staring up at the ceiling. “You two can’t treat me all nice after that stunt, can you?”

Taka shrugs. “It’s up to Mondo. If she forgives you, so can I. At least you’re trying to make things right.”

“I mean…” Leon is talking a lot slower than he usually does, which makes Taka think that there’s a chance he’s finally thinking before he says anything. (But then again, Taka realizes, maybe he’s just high.)

“You don’t think it's kinda weird? I mean, for someone like him. Her. Sorry, I, uh… For someone like Mondo, to be… like this?” 

Taka doesn’t take his eyes off of Mondo still. Her eyes close. He isn’t sure if she’s sleeping, but he hopes if she isn’t, she will soon. 

He looks back to Leon.

“It’s going to take some getting used to,” He says. “It always does. It took me some time to get used to it, and she knows that it takes time to get used to. The most important thing is that she has friends who listen to her.”

“I just--” Leon moves his lips for a second, but no words come out. He tries again. “It’s just so hard to believe. And I don’t wanna say anything else that’s gonna make him, uh, ...her… mad at me. ‘Cause we’re friends. But I got so many questions.” 

“Why did the two of you smoke?” Taka can’t help but ask.

Leon shrugs. “Uh. We both thought it’d make it easier for us to talk to each other. We could have some fun instead of walking on eggshells. It worked! I think we’re getting there.” He pauses. “Sayaka packs a real mean punch.”

Taka laughs. “Yes, she’s very… extroverted and hard-headed. She’s a wonderful friend to have, albeit a bit impulsive.” 

“Yeah,” Leon says. “I like her. I mean, I respect her a lot. I dunno. If she says I’m being an asshole, I’m probably being an asshole.”

“Not that violence is the answer, but I don’t believe Sayaka hits people who aren’t deserving of it,” Taka jokes. “You could have been kinder.”

“God, I fucking know already,” Leon grumbles. “Okay, well, what am I supposed to do? There’s no protocol for this shit.”

“If you aren’t rude about it, it’s not bad to ask questions,” Taka tells him. “Because you were rude before, and also in the way you asked, Mondo didn’t want to put up with answering the things you were curious about. You have to make it clear that you’re not going to be a… “d-head…” before you can ask personal questions. Also, know that you aren’t going to get all the answers.” 

Leon hangs his head.

“It’s fucking late,” He says. “Don’t you think you should sleep? I thought you were hittin’ the hay once Mondo fell asleep.”

“After you fall asleep too,” Taka corrects. “I don’t want you getting injured either.”

“...Do you want me to sleep on the floor?” Leon asks.

Taka shrugs. “It isn’t necessary. I can make myself comfortable wherever.” 

Leon nods and scoots down the bed so that he’s laying down. Mondo groans and sits up, looking like she’s still asleep. 

“Mondo,” Taka says quietly. She blinks and looks at him for a second, eyes nearly closed, and then lays down against his lap. 

“I’m doin’ alright,” She mutters against his shirt. “Don’t worry, Taka, everything’s good.”

“Okay,” Taka tells her. He watches Leon roll over on his side and then wraps his arms tighter around Mondo. “Get some sleep, yeah?”

Mondo yawns and nods her head. “Yeah. G’night,.” 

“Goodnight, Mondo,” Taka says, but she’s already asleep.

+

Takaaki knocks on Taka’s door at eight o’clock in the morning. Mondo and Leon don’t stir. 

He slips out from under Mondo’s arm and makes his way to his bedroom door. He’s wearing a sweater and sleep shorts, and is sure he looks like a wreck.

His father stands in front of the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

“May I speak to you?”

Taka straightens his back out. He looks over his shoulder at Mondo and Leon, and then back at his father. 

“Of course, father,” He says. He carefully closes the door behind him when he leaves the room.

His father sits on the armchair. He sits up straight on the couch.

“You’re bringing people into our house,” Takaaki says. “I don’t understand why you would do that.”

Taka blinks. He feels like time is frozen. 

“They’re my friends,” He says to his father. 

Takaaki raises an eyebrow. “Your friends? Since when do you make friends with delinquent drug users?” 

Taka frowns. These are less than ideal circumstances.

“Father, it’s… it’s my girlfriend and her best friend,” He says quietly.

“What?” Takaaki asks.

“My girlfriend and her best friend,” Taka says, louder this time.

“I heard you, Kiyotaka,” His dad says. “Since when have you had a girlfriend? Aside from that, I didn’t see a woman in there. Only that… retired baseball player, and one of my work enemies.” 

That’s right. Takaaki was not a fan of Mondo’s gang in the slightest. Taka has no idea what to say.

“Mondo Oowada,” He says, and his mouth feels dry. He needs to drink some water. “Mondo Oowada is my girlfriend.”

Taka’s father’s face goes through at least five different emotions, none of which Taka can process. He knows that Takaaki is aware of his and Mondo’s friendship, but… not the extent of it. Them being friends was enough. Takaaki never once took the time to meet Mondo in person, much less have a conversation with her.

“You’re a homosexual,” Takaaki says. 

Taka shakes his head quickly. Then, he hesitates. 

“Well, yes, I’m interested in men. But Mondo is my girlfriend, and I am not  _ explicitly  _ interested in men.”

“That is Mondo Oowada.”

“Yes!” Taka grins. “Isn’t she quite talented?” 

“Yes, she’s a very talented  _ criminal _ .” Takaaki pauses. “She?” 

“Father, I don’t know if I can have this conversation right now,” Taka admits. It’s the first time he’s ever said something like that to his dad. “It’s my moral obligation to make sure my peers -- my  _ friends _ \-- are physically and mentally safe.”

He walks back to his room before Takaaki can say anything else.

Upon entering his room again, Taka discovers that Mondo has replaced him with a pillow, and is holding on to said pillow for dear life. 

He laughs to himself, and then nudges her, trying to get back in bed.

Her eyes flutter open and she yawns, rubbing at her face with the palms of her hands.

“S’too fuckin’ early,” She grumbles, pressing her face against Taka’s chest. “Sorry, bro.”

Taka shakes his head, and then glances at Leon’s sleeping body. “I am just glad that you’re safe. And that things are beginning to go smoothly with Leon again.”

Mondo rolls her eyes and glances at Leon with her face scrunched up.

“Man, sorry for inviting him to your house,” She laughs nervously. “I definitely shouldn't’a done that, that’s super shitty of me.”

“I had a nice conversation with him,” Taka tells her. “While I don’t approve of your methods, I am glad that you got the chance to really talk to him.” 

Mondo scoffs. “Whatever. You’re a huge sap. Did you change my clothes?” 

Taka nods sheepishly. “I wiped your makeup off and changed you into something more comfortable, I figured you would appreciate that in the morning. I actually don’t know much about how to take care of someone who has smoked a lot of marijuana. That may be something I should find out about, especially if this is going to continue.” He pauses. “My father isn’t very happy about this.”

“Your -- Huh?” Mondo asks. She furrows her eyebrows.

“He was quite interested in why I would invite a former baseball star, along with the leader of one of the biker gangs he has been trying to put away for years, into our house. So, I told him that you are my girlfriend.”

Mondo’s face darkens. “You did?”

“What else was I going to do?”

“... Damn. You’re right. ‘m sorry, bro, he must be pissed as hell.”

Taka shrugs. He wraps his arms around Mondo.

“It’s fine,” He says. “I can have that conversation later. Right now I just want to make sure that you are okay. I don’t know how long my father is around, but if you get dressed, I’m sure he would love to… formally meet you!”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Mondo says sarcastically, gritting her teeth. “I’ll do it for you. Yer lucky I like you, Taka.”

“I am,” Taka agrees. “I think you should get dressed and speak to my father while Leon is still asleep.”

Mondo sighs. She pushes her hair back and stands up, going to the stash of clothes Taka has for her towards the back of his room. He sits back down on the bed and watches her get ready, from getting dressed to applying her makeup to figuring out what to do with her hair. He hopes Takaaki can get this relationship through his head.

Once Mondo is done getting ready, she holds her arms out and stares at Taka with a nervous smile. “Ta-daa? Bro, I don’t know, I’ve got nothin’ that’ll impress him.”

“You aren’t going to impress him no matter what,” Taka tells her. “Don’t think so hard about it, okay?”

Mondo nods and gives Taka two shaky thumbs up. 

She looks nice, Taka thinks. She ended up just pulling her hair back, and wearing a pair of high-waisted shorts with a t-shirt. Despite how casual the outfit is, Taka can’t help but stare.

“I love you,” He blurts. 

Mondo grins. “I love ya too! Are we goin’ out there, or what?”

Taka nods. He takes a shaky breath. “Yes, that’s the plan.”

+

Takaaki is finishing up his breakfast when Taka and Mondo leave the bedroom. 

“Father,” Taka addresses Takaaki. “I believe you’ve heard of my girlfriend, Mondo Oowada.” 

“I certainly have,” Takaaki says, narrowing his eyes. Taka can tell he wants to dig further into the “girlfriend” part of Taka’s statement, but is actively avoiding being rude. “Your reputation precedes you, Oowada.”

Mondo laughs nervously. “Yeah, I hear that one a lot. But, uh… I promise I’m not that bad.” 

“You are the reason my son’s room smells like marijuana?” 

“Yes, but --” 

“I’m sure that you are, in fact, that bad.” 

Mondo’s mouth opens and closes like a fish. She grabs for Taka’s hand, and he squeezes reassuringly. 

“Father, I just --”

“Not right now, Kiyotaka,” Takaaki interrupts. 

Mondo nudges his shoulder. “I can handle it, Taka. I’ve been grilled like this before.” 

Taka’s eyebrows furrow. “You have?” 

“Kiyotaka, I don’t believe that I can trust you to… date this man,” His father says. “There is too much on the line.” 

“I --” Taka starts, but Takaaki holds up a hand and Taka’s mouth snaps shut. 

“Mr Ishimaru,” Mondo says. “I’m really not all that bad. Yer son is the nicest guy in the world, and I just wanna make sure he’s happy. I’m totally on board with the politician thing, too, and I‘m gonna do my best not to sabotage it.” 

“Your existence is a sabotage, Oowada,” Takaaki says.

Taka laughs, for some reason. He doesn’t know why he does it, and he especially doesn’t know why he says, “If my political career is hindered by the fact that I am in love with Oowada, so be it.” 

Well, it’s true, but that’s not the kind of thing he can get away with saying to his father.

“Taka, man,” Mondo says. “I’m not gettin’ in the way of all that. I’m just tryna tell yer old man that I love ya.” 

“I love you,” Taka says quickly. “Father, that’s how important this is to me. If you love me, you are not going to do anything about this.”

Takaaki sits back in his chair. He contemplates this for a moment, and then says, “Nice to formally meet you, Mr Oowada.” 

“Miss,” Taka corrects. “You’re going to have to be okay with that part as well.”

Takaaki doesn’t say anything else. Taka stares at him for a few minutes longer, and then pulls Mondo back to his room.

Mondo sits on the edge of his bed and breathes out a sigh. “That could’a gone worse.” 

It’s at that moment, Leon decides to wake up. He sits up quickly, eyes wide, and looks around the room.

“Fuck,” He says, rubbing his eyes with balled-up fists. He takes a moment to adjust, and then asks, “Dude, Mondo, are you dressed already?”

Mondo rolls her eyes. “Taka made me talk to his dad for some fuckin’ reason. I had’ta make a good impression.”

Leon laughs at that. “Didn’t you already make, like, the worst impression in the world on him by just… fuckin’, existing?” 

“Hey, fuck off,” Mondo says back. “At least I’m not tryin’ to get the girl who won’t hesitate to beat the shit outta me to join a band.” 

“She’s  _ gonna _ join it!” Leon yelps. “Especially since you’re friends with her now, right? Be a buddy, tell her to join my band.”

“Sayaka doesn’t  _ like you!”  _ Mondo says, like she’s said it a million times before. “She wouldn’t have punched ya in the face if she wanted t’ spend time with you.” 

“Whatever, bitch,” Leon groans. “And I can totally call you that now, too.”

“You called me a bitch before all’a this,” Mondo reminds him. 

He shrugs. “‘s funnier now.” 

Mondo chucks a piece of paper that she’d been fumbling with in her hands at his face. He splutters, and Mondo laughs again. Taka tucks his knees to his chest and watches, just happy that they’re getting along again. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: weed again

Kyoko asks to sit with Taka for a moment alone a few weeks later. Taka agrees, not only because he’s very willing to talk to her regardless, but because she clearly needs to speak with someone, badly, at the moment. He’s happy to be that someone. 

“You aren’t allowed to breathe a word of this to anyone,” She tells him, deadpan. 

Taka hesitates. “Not even Mondo? Because I don’t like to keep things from her.”

Kyoko stares at Taka blankly for a moment, and then caves. 

“I suppose. As long as you make sure she isn’t going to speak with anyone else about it.”

Taka nods. He grins. “Of course! Now, what is it that you’d like to talk about?”

“Celestia,” Kyoko blurts. If she were less dignified, Taka guesses she would have covered her mouth right about now. She tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t… understand socialization very well. Making friends has never been my strong suit.”

“Well,” Taka says. “I believe you understand each other better than most people understand either of you. She is not out of your reach.”

Kyoko nods, looking stern. “Perseverance is key.”

Taka hesitates. “Well, would you say that you’ve made it clear to her you are interested in her?”

“...Perhaps not,” Kyoko says. “I suppose I should say something to her before I persevere.” 

“That’s the first step,” Taka agrees. “I believe Celeste likes you more than she likes most people, so you have an easy in. You could ask her if she would be interested in going to dinner?”

“That is not a bad idea,” Kyoko says. “Thank you, Ishimaru. Your help has been useful.”

Taka nods and makes his way back to his normal table, watching as Celeste approaches and takes her seat next to Kyoko just as he leaves.. 

He sits down next to Mondo, who is laughing at something Leon said. 

“‘s fuckin’ nuts, dude!” She says. “Totally great. Hey, babe.” 

“Hello!” Taka says. “Apologies for being late, I was talking to Kirigiri!” 

“Did she have anything to say?” Chihiro asks. 

“Nothing important,” Taka says. “She was just asking for clarification on something in a class we have together!”

Chihiro nods and takes another bite of her food. 

“But like… really. Was it about Celeste?” She asks. 

Taka pauses. “What?”

“I dunno,” Chihiro says. “I mean, I’m kind of getting the vibe that they like each other. Is it just me?”

Sayaka laughs. “It’s totally just you. I’ve never gotten that vibe once!” 

Taka breathes out a sigh of relief. This problem has not become public real estate quite yet, and Taka can still be helpful.

“Hey, by the way,” Sayaka turns to Leon. “I’m sorry for hitting you. That was super awful.”

“Don’t be,” Mondo says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “He definitely deserved it. Just ‘cuz he’s over it now doesn’t mean ya shouldn’t’ve hit him.”

Leon nods. 

“Yeah,” He says. “You can hit me again if you wanna. Mondo says I gotta expect things like that.” 

“She’s right, you totally should,” Sayaka says. “But I’m not gonna hit you again unless you really,  _ really _ deserve it.” 

Leon and Sayaka fist bump, and Chihiro laughs. “I’m glad things are better between you guys! Maybe one of these days, we can all go do something?”

“What, you mean, like, not dinner?” Mondo asks, lifting an eyebrow. “Taka’s place  _ can _ only hold so many people, I guess.” 

“That’s true,” Taka says. “But I don’t have anything in mind that we can do. Unless any of you have ideas?”

Leon hesitates. He raises a hand like he’s waiting to be called on in class, and then says, “Uh, Mondo was already gonna stay at my place tonight. Any of you guys can tag along, if ya want.”

“Thank you, Leon!” Taka grins. “I will be there, if that’s okay with you.” 

“Oh, I’m totally in,” Sayaka says with a grin. “Someone has to kick Leon if he says somethin’ stupid, anyway.”

“I’m not going to!” Leon protests. “I mean. I’m getting better! I’m doing better. Anyone else coming?” 

Makoto nods. “If that’s okay.”

“Yeah!” Chihiro grins. “Do you want to let anyone else know?”

Leon shrugs. “I don’t care that much. I just thought I’d let you guys know we’re doin’ something tonight. Since you’re all right here.” 

“Forgive me, Leon,” Taka says. “I can’t say I love the idea of Mondo staying the night at your house alone right now anyway, so I appreciate you extending the invitation!”

“Dude, I can handle myself,” Mondo laughs. “Don’t worry. I don’t take shit from anyone.” 

“Still!” Taka protests. “I get worried!” 

Mondo ruffles his hair. 

“Okay, okay, we know,” She says. “You like me. Can we stop by your place before we head over so I can grab some clothes?”

Taka nods. He smiles. “Yes, of course.” 

+

Takaaki is home when they get there, which Taka does not expect. Mondo shoves her hands in her jacket pockets awkwardly upon seeing him, and then mumbles, “‘m gonna go change now.” 

She squeezes Taka’s hand and goes to his room. Taka looks his father in the eye.

“I’m going to stay at a friend’s house tonight,” He says. “I thought I should tell you in case you wonder where I am.” 

Takaaki nods his head once. “Your delinquent friends?” 

“Father --” Taka says. 

“Kiyotaka.” 

There’s a silence between them.

“I don’t understand what’s gotten into you lately,” Takaaki says. “You are almost a completely different person. Oowada is having an effect on you, mentally. I think that perhaps you should take a break from him.”

“Her,” Taka corrects. “Are you upset by the sudden appearance of my social life? Because I can’t say I dislike having friends for once.”

“Have you considered how it might affect your studies, or your future career?” Takaaki questions. 

Taka thinks about this for a moment. Of course he’s considered it. He’s just… well, he’s realizing that he enjoys having friends, and that it might not be worth it to give all that up. He can work just as hard, or even harder, to achieve his goals without giving up his friendships. 

“Yes,” He says. “But I am still going to spend time with my friends. I hope you understand.”

“Understood,” Taka’s father says. 

It’s then that Mondo leaves the room. She’s got one of her old backpacks that she left at Taka’s house slung over her shoulder. 

“Sorry,” She says. “I don’t mean to steal him. There’s people waitin’ on us, though. You ready, bro? I grabbed some clothes for ya.” 

“Yes, of course!” Taka says, glancing over at her. “You look great. I was just telling my father that I am going to stay at Leon Kuwata’s house tonight.” 

“Don’t let anything happen to him,” Takaaki says, staring Mondo down. 

Mondo laughs. “Don’t worry, sir. If anythin’, he’s gonna hafta keep me outta trouble. You gotta know yer own son by now, don’tcha?” 

She doesn’t give him the time to respond. Taka elbows her as soon as they’re out the door.

“What was that?” He asks Mondo, and she laughs.

“He doesn’t trust ya for shit, babe!” She exclaims. “Man, you’re, like, an adult, and he’s on yer ass for having friends? I had’ta get you outta there ASAP!” 

Taka manages a startled laugh. The way he’s interacting with his father lately… it’s nothing like he has in the past. He quite enjoys living his own life for once.

He climbs on Mondo’s bike after her, and thinks about the way the wind feels in his face.

+

The first thing Taka is greeted by when entering Leon’s house is Makoto Naegi face-down on the floor. 

Chihiro is kneeling next to him, and he rolls over a few seconds after the door closes. 

“Taka! Mondo!” He exclaims, eyes hardly opening. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! This is awesome. I was scared you weren’t gonna show up.”

Across the room, Sayaka is smoking a joint. She laughs. 

“Naegi can’t handle his weed,” She says. “Sorry, Taka, I know this isn’t your scene.” She hands the joint to Leon, who is sitting right at her side.

“That’s alright!” Taka says with a grin. “I’m just happy to be here.” 

He takes a seat next to Chihiro, who has Makoto leaning right up against her side. Mondo throws her bag down and collapses on the couch next to Leon. He wordlessly hands her the joint. 

“You want some, babe?” She asks, holding her hand out. Taka shakes his head, and watches silently as she smokes.

Oh. Okay. Taka has a good moral backbone, so he’s not going to smoke tonight, or any night for that matter. But now, suddenly, he understands why everyone thinks smoking is so hot. 

“Simp,” Chihiro mutters next to him. “Can you help me get Makoto into a chair? I don’t think he’s getting up anytime soon.” 

Taka’s head snaps back to Chihiro. “What? Oh, yes, absolutely.” 

It doesn’t take a lot of work to lug Makoto into a nearby chair -- he doesn’t weigh very much, after all. He mumbles something about how “mean people are sexy” and then his head flops over to the side. Taka grimaces and hopes that he’s okay, and then sits down next to Mondo.

“Be careful,” He mumbles, wrapping his arms around her side. 

“Ishimaru’s gonna get contact high,” Sayaka laughs. Taka quickly covers his mouth and nose, but Mondo pries his hand away from his face. 

“She’s fuckin’ with you. Yer gonna be fine,” She says. “Nobody’s makin’ ya do anything. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Just c’mere.” 

Taka nods and lays against Mondo’s chest once again. He feels like he fits perfectly there. 

… He feels like he fits perfectly with her. There’s never been another person who means more to him, ever. She runs her fingers through his hair.

For once, Taka doesn’t feel like he needs to keep track of the time. He doesn’t feel like he needs to do anything other than spend time with the people he’s around right now. 

After a while, when he can see the sun start to set through the windows, he asks Mondo, “Are you happy?”

“Hm?” She hums. “What?” 

“Are you happy?” 

He shifts so he can look at Mondo. Her eyes are half lidded, and her cheeks are kind of pink. She looks… relaxed. With all of Taka’s qualms about drug use, he can’t help but enjoy seeing Mondo so relaxed.

She nods. 

“Yeah,” She says quietly. “‘m pretty sure I am. Like, just all-around?”

“Yes.”

“Then yeah.”

Taka nods. “...good. I’m glad.”

Mondo nods again. 

“Are you?” 

Taka leans up and kisses her jawline. 

“Yes,” He says. “Definitely.”

+

Mondo spends the night at Taka’s the next day, and Taka can’t understand for the life of him why his father doesn’t care more about the ongoings of his life. Sure, he was reasonably upset about both Taka’s relationship with Mondo and Leon’s drug usage, but Taka assumed he would be under more weight than he is when it came to the reveal of these things.

Mondo is piercing her own ears in Taka’s bathroom so that she can wear the pair of earrings that Chihiro gave her the night before. Taka is reading a motorcycle manual in bed.

“I’m going to buy you a new helmet,” He says as he turns the page. “Especially since you’ve changed your hair, and you no longer have that excuse in your book.”

He can practically hear Mondo scowl in the other room.

“Whatever,” She says. “I love ya.” 

“I love you,” Taka tells her. “Come back here when you’re done.” 

It takes a good thirty minutes and a lot of swearing, but Mondo is finally not bleeding out of her ears, and is now sitting next to Taka on the bed.

“I couldn’t get you to go on another ride with me, could I?” She asks, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Taka laughs, and then his phone buzzes. He puts away the manual and checks his phone.

**Kyoko Kirigiri**

**Kyoko Kirigiri:** I am going to dinner with Celestia tonight. 

**Kyoko Kirigiri:** I appreciate your words, Ishimaru. Enjoy the rest of your day.

**YOU** : I hope you enjoy yourself! Best of luck! 

“Kirigiri has a date!” He exclaims. 

Mondo laughs. “No shit, really? How’d that happen?” 

Taka shrugs, putting his phone down on the table next to the bed. “Apparently she is going to dinner with Celeste tonight. I am unbelievably happy for her!” 

“I still can’t believe you noticed that,” Mondo tells him. “I mean, I had no fuckin’ clue Kiri had a crush.” 

“It was quite obvious, actually,” Taka says. “I’ve never seen her act that way about or around someone in all the time we’ve known each other. You and the others tend to write off everything she does as normal for her, which is understandable. She’s quite easy to read once you get the hang of it -- a lot easier than most other people I’ve met. I understand her just as easily as I understood Gundham Tanaka.”

Mondo laughs, eyes wide. “You understood Gundham Tanaka?”

“What?” Taka asks. “Of course I did! I understood him very well! Did you not?”

“Man, he was spoutin’ bullshit out of every hole in his face,” She tells him. “I didn’t get what a single fuckin’ word he said meant.”

“Oh.” Taka thinks about that for a moment. “Well, I find both him and Kyoko quite easy to interpret. Perhaps it’s the fact that we all are on the autism spectrum.”

“You…” Mondo trails off. “They are? I mean, I know you’ve got all that shit goin’ on -- fuck, is that rude? Sorry. I’m not tryna be rude. But… I mean, I just thought they were kinda weird.”

“That’s the typical consensus, so I don’t blame you,” Taka says. “You thought I was “weird” as well, correct?” 

Mondo frowns. “Yeah, I guess so. I still feel real bad about that, by the way.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Taka tells her with a smile. “Really, you have nothing to worry about. But I suppose that would be why I can understand Kyoko more easily than you.” 

Mondo nods. She thinks on this for a second, and then straightens her back out and leans over to kiss Taka’s lips.

“I love ya,” She tells him. “Sorry if I’m ever a total bitch. You can put me in my place if I ever do somethin’ dumb.”

Taka grins. “I love you! You haven’t done anything wrong, and I promise I will let you know if there is anything you need to correct, as long as you do the same for me!”

Mondo nods and kisses Taka’s cheek. “Yeah, totally. Okay.” 

Taka turns her head and kisses her on the lips quickly. 

“Now,” He says. “I have quite a bit of homework to do! You may stay, if you’d like, but please let me work if you do!” 

Mondo nods and lays back against the headboard of the bed, and Taka buries his nose in his book. This is exactly the kind of thing he could get used to, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are so appreciated!! I hope u guys have been enjoying so far


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: slight transphobia once again but its only because of confusion/etc !

Taka gets paired with Kyoko on a school project the next week, and he’s honestly glad he’ll have the chance to speak with her outside of a school environment, but without a lot of people around. 

He meets her at her house on Saturday afternoon, and the door is answered by Jin Kirigiri. Taka can’t help the way his heart drops to his stomach.

“Mr Kirigiri, sir!” He grins, trying not to let on how nervous he is. “I’m here to work with your daughter on a project!” 

“Yes, Kiyotaka, I heard you were coming over,” Kyoko’s father says. “Come right in. She’s in her room upstairs, first door on the left.” 

Taka nods and quickly makes his way to Kyoko’s room. He gives it a solid knock and says, “Kirigiri! It’s me!”

The door opens, and Kyoko stands before him. She looks tired, and is wearing sweatpants and a loose shirt. 

“Ishimaru,” She says. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. Could you give me a moment?” 

Taka nods, and the door closes in his face. Behind it, there’s some shuffling, and then a pink-faced Celestia Ludenberg walks out the door. Taka waves at her with a smile. She glares at him and leaves without saying another word.

Taka knocks on Kyoko’s door again. “May I come in now?” 

“Yes,” Kyoko says through the door. Taka steps inside her room, and finds her brushing her hair in the mirror. “I’m very sorry for my appearance. It’s not like me to forget I’ve made plans so easily, or lose track of time.” 

“A girl will do that to you,” Taka says knowingly. “I’m not going to hold it against you. I’ve been very interested in how things are going between the two of you!” 

Kyoko glances back at him. “Why is that?” 

Taka shrugs. He smiles. 

“You’re my friend? Is that a good enough reason? I would like for you to be happy! Besides, I’m among the few people who notice your nerves regarding Celeste.”

Kyoko turns around to look him in the eyes. “I just admire her resolve. And I think that… the way she dresses is… intriguing.”

“I’m sure you think she has nice eyes and a good smile, too?” Taka asks. “You are allowed to have feelings, Kyoko.”

Kyoko nods, lips pressed together in a thin line. 

“I suppose we should begin working on our project,” She says. “Once again, I apologize for my less than ideal appearance. It was a mistake on my part to lose track of time.”

Taka laughs. “Kirigiri! I promise, you are alright. I will not hold this against you in the slightest. Let’s get to work!”

+

On Sunday, Takaaki wakes Taka up at eight o’clock sharp with a firm knock on his bedroom door.

“Invite Oowada to dinner tonight,” He says, not bothering to wait for Taka to open the door. “The two of us will become better acquainted then.”

Taka rubs his eyes, unsure of if he heard his father correctly, but before he can speak up, Takaaki’s footsteps get further and further away. 

He texts Mondo.

**Mondo Oowada** **♥**

**YOU** : My father would like you to join us for dinner this evening.

**Mondo Oowada** **♥** : fuckin shit

**Mondo Oowada** **♥** : really???? 

**YOU** : I didn’t believe it myself, but it seems that my words have gotten to him.

**Mondo Oowada** **♥** : fuck yeah thats epic

**Mondo Oowada** **♥** : shit i guess i gotta wear somethin nice then huh

**Mondo Oowada** **♥** : bro i got nothin impressive 

**YOU** : You worry too much! Everything will be fine! :D!

He puts his phone down and lays on his back, giving a heavy sigh. Of course he’s glad that his father will be getting to know Mondo better. He’s been wanting that for a while now. But… they have very different personalities, different ideals. They aren’t the kind of people who get along well with each other.

Still, Taka thinks it’s nice that Takaaki is making an effort. 

+

Around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there’s a solid knock on the door. Taka opens it to find Mondo sporting a nervous grin, with one Chihiro Fujisaki slung over her shoulder playing Minecraft on her phone.

“Hope ya don’t mind I brought Chi over,” She says. “Moral support or whatever.”

“Of course not!” Taka grins. “I’m not sure my father would like her coming to dinner, but she can stay here until then!” 

“For the record, I wasn’t planning on coming to dinner,” Chihiro says. “Shit! Creeper.” 

“Aw man,” Mondo says with a grin. She steps inside and shuts the door behind her, setting Chihiro down on the couch by the door. “Hey, Taka, is yer dad around right now?”

“You’ve got impeccable timing,” Taka tells her. “He left about an hour ago, and he won’t be back until six, when it’s time to go to dinner.”

“Awesome,” Mondo says. She sits down next to Chihiro on the couch and leans over to look at her phone. “You’re gonna die.”

“Shut up,” Chihiro grumbles. “I know that already. Like you’re any better at this game.” 

Mondo rolls her eyes. “I should prob’ly go find somethin’ to wear, huh? I don’t know what yer dad wants from me, but I should at least  _ try _ to impress him.”

“With that ugly mug? There’s no way.” Chihiro asks.

Taka gasps. “Chihiro!”

Chihiro looks up at him from over her phone. “I’m rude now.” 

Mondo flicks the side of her face and stands up from the couch, stretching her arms above her head. Her shirt rides up a little and Taka bites his lip. 

“Well, you certainly can’t wear something like this,” He says. “You can’t raise your arms above your head without exposing your midriff!”

Mondo rolls her eyes and makes her way towards Taka’s room at the end of the hall. Chihiro stands up and follows, face still buried in her phone. 

As Mondo starts to go through the bags of clothes that Sayaka kindly procured for her, Taka sits down next to Chihiro on the end of the bed and asks, “So, Chihiro! Why are you rude now, if I may ask?”

Chihiro shrugs. She locks her phone and looks at Taka with a kind smile. “Because you guys are my friends!”

Taka blinks. 

“And you’re rude to your friends?”

“Yes!” Chihiro nods. “I was hanging out with Mondo and Leon yesterday while you were at Kyoko’s. They’re super mean to each other, because they’re friends and they know they  _ can _ be mean to each other. So I’m rude now! Because I know you two don’t think I mean it!” 

Taka nods. He kind of understands, though he would never be rude to someone he cared about on purpose. 

“Hey, Taka!” Mondo calls from across the room. She holds up a button-up shirt with a low-cut neck. “This?” 

Taka shakes his head. “The neck is too low. He won’t like that. I’m sure there is a modest dress in there somewhere, though!”

“Yeah, I’m  _ so _ sure there is,” Mondo grumbles sarcastically. She rolls her eyes and goes back to rummaging through the bags.

“What are you gonna do if he still doesn’t like her?” Chihiro asks, picking up her phone again.

Taka hasn’t thought about it all that much, despite that being the most likely scenario. He doesn’t want to think about how much the disapproval he gets from his father will be multiplied if he continues to stay with Mondo. Which, of course, he’s always going to do.

“I don’t know,” He says. “I never thought I’d say this, but what my father thinks doesn’t bother me very much right now.”

Chihiro’s mouth forms a small ‘O.’

“Really?” She asks. “I know that’s something you worry about.” 

Taka shrugs.

“I mean…” He thinks for a moment. “Ultimately, everything I would like to achieve, I can do without my father if it comes down to it, and with Mondo by my side. Ideally, my father does not decide he wants nothing to do with me, or that I should choose between him and Mondo. But if it comes down to it… that’s his problem to take care of, and not mine!”

Mondo glances at him from across the room with wide eyes. She’s holding a crumpled piece of fabric tight in her hands, like if she lets go she’ll die.

“Really?” She asks. “Like, ya mean it?” 

Taka nods eagerly. “Of course I do! Do you know me to lie about anything? Especially something so serious?”

“Well, no, but --” Mondo stops. She loosens her grip on the fabric in her hands. “I don’t wanna get ya in trouble or anything.” 

“You shouldn’t worry about it,” Taka tells her. “I mean it. Just focus on finding something to wear, okay?” 

He turns to Chihiro. “May I play Minecraft with you?” 

Chihiro nods with a laugh, still buried in her phone once again. Taka grins and joins her. 

+

It takes a while, but soon enough Mondo has found something to wear, and then she and Taka are riding on her bike to the restaurant his father picked out -- the same one Mondo took Taka to for his birthday. 

She parks her bike outside and steps off, adjusting her clothes nervously. Taka feels his stomach drop, because it finally registers that they’re going to spend the night being quietly picked apart by his father’s eyes.

He ignores that and focuses on how nice Mondo looks. She managed to find a nice dress that was still her style, all red and black with leggings underneath so that she could still ride her motorcycle. 

She gives Taka a nervous smile. “We don’t wanna be late, huh?” 

Taka nods and takes a deep breath. He holds his hand out for Mondo, and they walk into the restaurant.

As soon as they enter the formal environment, Mondo’s hand tightens around Taka’s. He can tell she’s incredibly nervous and is doing her best not to let it show. He squeezes her hand back.

Taka can see Takaaki sitting at a table across the room. He bows his head a little and leads Mondo towards him, weaving through the tables. They sit down in the chairs across from him, and Mondo awkwardly folds her hands in her lap.

“Father,” Taka says politely. 

Takaaki only nods before he turns his attention to Mondo.

“Oowada,” He says. “I understand that you have been seeing my son for quite some time now.”

“Uh…” Mondo says. Her face is red. “Y-yes. Yes, sir, I… I have. He’s real great. Ya did a good job. Um.” 

She glances at Taka with wide eyes, and then back to Takaaki. His gaze hasn’t shifted at all.

“Um,” She says again. “It was nice of you to invite me. To dinner, I mean. Ya didn’t have to do that, uh, you could totally just ignore me forever or somethin’ and I wouldn’t blame ya.”

“That would be incredibly rude of me,” Takaaki says. “I may not approve of your relationship with Kiyotaka, but it’s foolish to pretend that you don’t exist and are not a part of his life. If I had any intention of doing that, I wouldn’t have invited you here in the first place.”

“Father, she’s really a good person,” Taka pipes up. “I know that you have been trying to put her away for some time, but has she done anything recently that you know of?”

Takaaki thinks for a moment. Then, he says, “Not that I recall.” 

Taka grins. “That’s because I asked her to stay more within the lines of the law! It’s not ideal for her gang, of course. But she was willing to tone it down for me! Isn’t that nice?” 

“...Very nice,” Takaaki says. “I can’t say I’m happy with it, though. In an ideal world,” He looks pointedly at Mondo, “your gang is disbanded and half of its members are jailed.” 

Mondo’s face goes another shade darker. Taka can swear that she’s starting to sweat. 

“I… yeah, I get that,” She says, looking down at the table in front of her. “I know for sure I’m not the kinda girl you want yer son hangin’ out with, much less dating. But --” 

Takaaki holds a hand up, and Mondo stops talking.

“That’s another thing I don’t understand,” He says. “I’ve known of you and your antics for a long time now, Oowada. And in all of this time, not once have I heard of you being a woman. You are sitting in front of me, and I still do not buy it. Did you do something like this just to target Kiyotaka?” 

Mondo’s mouth hangs open. She and Taka both seem to be at a complete loss for words. 

“Father,” Taka says, but he can’t think of anything more than that. He hesitates for a second, and then tries again. “The two of us have been together for a long while now. I can assure you that she is not targeting me, and especially not trying to fool me in this way. I can tell you right now that I am interested in both men and women, and would be interested in Mondo either way.”

Takaaki listens to everything Taka has to say, and then once again turns to Mondo expectantly. 

“What is your excuse, then?” He asks sharply. “I have a hard time believing that Kiyotaka would be interested in men, but I have heard it straight from the source, so I suppose I have to listen. But I don’t understand you, Oowada. Not in the slightest.” 

Taka realizes that they haven’t even ordered their food yet. He grabs Mondo’s hand from her lap under the table.

“I don’t have an excuse,” Mondo says. Then, she adds, “Sir.” 

Takaaki is still staring at her. She realizes that she has to say more. 

“I don’t like to, uh, get into it really,” She says. “I’ve done a whole lotta talkin’ about it lately. I mean, a few months ago I’d never even think about goin’ out in public like this. But I really dunno what you want me to tell ya. Sir. Yeah, I’m a chick. Taka’s real supportive, too. I couldn’t’ve gotten this far without him.”

Taka nods quickly.

“Father, you have to believe that this is not a stunt of any kind,” He says. “I have known of it for over a year now. Everyone at school is aware. I’m… unsure about the rest of Mondo’s gang, but… well, that’s something we can deal with another time, correct?” He grins. “Regardless of what you think, I’m going to choose to continue to support her, because I care for her very much!” 

“Taka, dude, yer gettin’ all sappy,” Mondo mumbles. “Take a step back.” 

“Indeed,” Takaaki says. “I don’t intend to have this conversation with you. I intend to have it with Mr Oowada.” 

“Miss,” Taka mumbles under his breath, staring at the table in front of him. “Father, are we going to order something to eat?”

“I’ve already ordered,” Takaaki says. “I figured that you wouldn’t know what to get at a place such as this.” 

Mondo’s gaze turns into a glare. Taka touches her thigh in hopes that it will calm her down a bit.

“I took Taka here for his eighteenth birthday,” She says sharply. “Sorry, but you’re not givin’ me any credit. ‘specially since you didn’t even tell him happy birthday.”

That shuts Takaaki up for a second. Mondo takes that pause as a chance to continue. Taka tightens his grip on her leg.

“I know ya don’t like me,” She says. “I’ve known that since before me an’ Taka even started datin’. I’ve known this whole time I was never gonna get on yer good side, because I’m not the kinda person you like. That’s not important to me. I just wish ya gave more of a shit about Taka’s happiness. Uh. Sorry for swearin’. It just really pisses me off how little you involve yerself in his life, and when ya do rear yer head it’s just to tell him to do better.”

There’s dead silence between the group for too long. Before Taka knows it, plates of food are being placed in front of them. Mondo is the only one who thanks the waitress, and then she begins to eat. 

For all that she is rough-and-tumble, Taka notices that Mondo is making a very genuine effort to be polite right now. 

Takaaki doesn’t touch his food. He just stares blankly at Mondo as she and Taka begin to eat the food that he ordered for them.

“While I don’t believe the way I raise my son is any of your business,” He finally says, and Mondo stops mid-bite. She finishes the food she’s in the middle of eating and then glances up at Takaaki’s face. “I understand that you are coming from a place of concern here. However well-fitted you think you are to Kiyotaka, the way that you live your life is ultimately against his best interests. I don’t see any reason why I should continue allowing this to happen.” 

Mondo opens her mouth to protest, but Taka is fed up. 

“Father, you shouldn’t say things like that,” He says. Mondo’s mouth snaps shut.

“Excuse me?” Takaaki questions. “It’s important for me, as your father, to make judgements such as this one. Since you obviously cannot do it yourself.” 

Taka thinks his father is generally smart, but at this moment, he’s never heard anyone sound so stupid.

“Please, listen to me. I don’t want you to say anything until I’m done,” He says. 

Takaaki nods. 

Taka takes a deep breath, and then he’s talking, hardly thinking about the words he’s saying until they’re out of his mouth.

“I’d like to think you’d have some faith in me at this point in my life,” He says. “I’m working very hard to achieve a goal that we both would like for my future, and I’ve worked at it for as long as I can remember. I think that after all this time you’ve forgotten that I am not a carbon copy of you, with the exact same ideals and wants. You believe that I should dedicate every waking second of my life to this goal, and a year ago, I would agree. But I’ve found that I can work hard  _ and _ be happy, surrounded by people who care for me.”

“Kiyotaka --” Takaaki says, but Taka keeps going.

“I appreciate you inviting Mondo to dinner, to hear her out. But nothing you say is going to convince either of us of anything you want.” He glances at Mondo, watching her cheeks redden and how ajar her jaw has fallen. He looks back to his father. “So thank you, and I will go pick up my school uniform from home. We are going to stay at Fujisaki’s house tonight.”

Takaaki has successfully been rendered speechless. Taka grabs Mondo’s hand and stands up. She places a ten dollar bill from her jacket pocket on the table, says, “For the waitress,” and follows him out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EVERYONE!! I hope you're enjoying this fic!! unfortunately there's only two parts left before it's over BUT I would appreciate it if you would subscribe to the series, as I'm going to continue writing in the same universe!!!!


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